Novak Djokovic will work with Andy Murray ahead of the 2025 Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic’s decision to hire Andy Murray as his new coach sends a “signal” to his main ATP rivals, believes former player Julien Benneteau.
Djokovic announced yesterday that he would work with former rival Murray across the off-season and at the 2025 Australian Open, which starts on January 12th.
The news has surprised the tennis world, with former world No 1 and three-time major winner Murray only retiring from the sport in August.
Djokovic has not had a permanent coach since his split with Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year, and 2024 proved to be the first season since 2017 where he did not win a Grand Slam title.
However, despite playing just 11 events in 2024, the 37-year-old is still ranked seventh in the world and is in line to be a top-eight seed at the Australian Open – where he has won a record 10 men’s singles title.
The Serbian beat Murray in four of those finals and the Brit is the third most-played rival of his career, only playing Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer more.
The two are just a week apart in age and despite their rivalry have a strong friendship, with Murray – one of the most respected figures in the game – a trusted voice for Djokovic.
Speaking on RMC Sports, French Billie Jean King Cup captain Benneteau said that the announcement sent a “signal” that Djokovic had “real motivation” to win further Grand Slam titles.
He said: “It’s not because you were a great player that you are a good coach and that guarantees success as a coach.
“Andy Murray will have the role of coach, not trainer, he will not teach him how to hit a forehand or a backhand.
“I think Djokovic has a real motivation to be at 25 Grand Slams won, to be the only one to have done it and he will do everything for it.
“And the fact that Murray joins him in his team, it is a signal that he sends to the others and also to himself in order to have another voice, another vision on the game of Alcaraz and Sinner to be able to beat them in five sets.
“We must not forget [Alexander] Zverev who finished the year with a bang. And I think that it is in this perspective that he calls on Andy Murray.”
Djokovic was beaten in the semi-final of the 2024 Australian Open by Jannik Sinner, who went on to win the title and become the most successful player of the season.
The Italian also beat Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters final, while the Serbian lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final – though did beat the 21-year-old to win gold at the Olympic Games.
Sinner and Alcaraz swept the majors in 2024 and both have finished the year inside the top three of the ATP Rankings and are likely to prove Djokovic’s main Grand Slam threats in 2025.
However, world No 2 Zverev could also contend, with the German looking to win his first Grand Slam title after two previous final defeats.
