It’s exceptional. In mid-January, at the Australian Open, Andy Murray will be in Novak Djokovic’s box. The two men made the start of their collaboration official last weekend. The union begins with the preparation for next season and extends until the end of the first round of the Grand Slam of 2025. If little is known at the moment about what is probably the coach/player association the most intriguing in the history of Tennis, you have to bet that it was “Nole” who went after “Sir Andy”.
Since last summer, Murray had been enjoying the life of a young retired 37-year-old athlete: he had returned to golf with assiduity, gym sessions without making himself look shabby, and was enjoying his children. “I feel really free and I have a lot of time to do what I want,” he summed up on the “BBC” at the beginning of September. I expected to find retirement difficult, to miss tennis, and to want to get back on the courts. But so far, it’s been the complete opposite of what I thought.”
Improbable but true, he is preparing to pack his bags again for the Antipodes and embark with a friend to whom his destiny has always been linked. Born a week apart in 1987, the two first played each other when they were 11 years old. In 2001, Murray delivered a thrashing (6-0 6-1) to young Novak during the Petits As in France. Ten years later, they found themselves in the final of a Grand Slam (Melbourne). There will be seven in total, and thirty-six (!) face-to-face. A historic rivalry.
Maybe Murray already couldn’t stand being at home anymore. Or that Djokovic’s proposal was simply irrefutable. The Scotsman is not there to change the Serbian’s setback. Not at his age (37). He is there to bring his expert eye and his knowledge of exchanges to a veteran in search of solutions facing a young guard (Sinner and Alcaraz) who took power and won all the Grand Slams this season. “Nole”, who has not won any tournament in 2024 apart from gold at the Olympics, was out of ideas.
In his career, Djokovic has always liked to surround himself with champions of his sport (Agassi, Becker, Ivanisevic). Because these profiles know exactly how he feels when faced with a break point. The formula paid off until he became the greatest player in history with 24 Grand Slams. After Federer (43), Nadal (38) has also just retired. The “Djoker” wisely waited for the announcement of his great rival to make his own. He gave himself the means to reinvent himself one last time. And it’s just great.
