The Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic is surprisingly being trained by his former rival Andy Murray in preparation for the new season and at the Australian Open. “I am very excited and looking forward to being on the same side of the net as Novak for a change and helping him achieve his goals,” Murray, 37, was quoted as saying in a press release. The two-time Olympic champion from Great Britain ended his active tennis career after the Summer Games in Paris.
“I’m happy to have one of my biggest rivals as a coach on the same side of the net,” said Djokovic. The 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner added that he shared “many extraordinary moments on Australian soil” with his former opponent, to whom he had inflicted four final defeats at the Australian Open. On Instagram, Djokovic wrote with reference to Murray: “Welcome aboard, legend.” On the X platform, he joked: “He never liked retirement anyway.”
Murray will join Djokovic’s team to prepare for the new season and will look after the Serb at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year in Melbourne. Djokovic, who separated from coach Goran Ivanisevic at the beginning of the year and was previously trained by German tennis icon Boris Becker, wants to regain his old strength. He was unable to win a Grand Slam title last season. However, the 37-year-old won the gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.
Murray, Wimbledon champion in 2013 and 2016 and US Open winner in 2012, struggled with numerous injury problems during his career and most recently played with an artificial hip. A cyst on his back prevented him from making his last individual appearance at the grass classic in London in the summer.
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