BY : Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
The former no 1 Andy Murray who retired long ago as a result of hip injury but is now having a new appointment with longtime rival Novak Djokovic as his coach, they both announced Saturday, with plans to prepare for the competition and work together through it all in the Australian Open in January.
The news left everyone especially fans startled for the news of Murray and Djokovic, a pairing of two of the most successful and opulent players in the sport, they are classified as members of a so-called Big Four that also included Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The pair will work together in the off-season and in the build-up to the Australian Open, which takes place 12-26 January.
Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history.
“We played each other since we were boys, 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits,” Djokovic said.
“We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. I thought our story may be over – turns out it has one final chapter.
“It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner.”
Djokovic ‘looking forward to having Murray by my side’
Djokovic is level with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles by any player.
Both men are 37 and were born a week apart in May 1987. They started facing each other as juniors and wound up meeting 36 times as professionals, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 advantage.
“We played each other since we were boys — 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, history-makers,” Djokovic posted on social media over photos and videos from some of their matches. “I thought our story may be over. Turns out, it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome on board, Coach — Andy Murray.”
Djokovic has been without a full-time coach since splitting in March from Goran Ivanisevic.
“I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the offseason, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open,” Murray said in a statement released by his management team. “I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.”
Their head-to-head series on tour includes an 11-8 lead for Djokovic in finals, and 8-2 at Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic beat Murray four times in the Australian Open final alone — in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Two of the most important victories of Murray’s career came with Djokovic on the other side of the net. One was in the 2012 U.S. Open final, when Murray claimed his first Grand Slam title. The other was in the 2013 Wimbledon final, when Murray became the first British man in 77 years to win the singles championship at the All England Club.
He did, however, lose to Djokovic in the Melbourne showpiece in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and also lost the French Open final in 2016.
Murray replaced Djokovic as world number one at the end of the 2016 season, going on a 24-match winning streak to end the year, but a hip injury a year later would ultimately impact his career. Nonetheless it is now a new phase in the world of tennis as Djokovic’s zeal and passion will now see a new light for the upcoming year’s competition.
