Novak Djokovic has brought Andy Murray on board as his new coach, with the pair focusing on fine-tuning the Serbian’s game to compete with tennis’s rising stars.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is determined to keep pace with younger rivals like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who dominated the majors last year.
Murray, who retired from professional tennis just last August, joined Djokovic’s team during the off-season.
The 37-year-old Djokovic is not seeking a complete transformation of his playing style, but rather looking to gain small advantages through improved court positioning and tactical adjustments.
Novak Djokovic has opened up on his partnership with Andy Murray as the pair prepare for the Australian Open
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Djokovic’s 2024 season proved difficult for the tennis legend, with an Olympic gold medal standing as his sole title of the year.
The former world number one, now ranked seventh, seems to be refreshed after a lengthy break.
And Djokovic has now opened up on his partnership with Murray, insisting the pair are discussing minor, but significant details as they look to achieve success together.
Djokovic said: “I love talking to him about the nuances, the details, how I can improve my game, how I can gain an inch, court positioning more comparing to my opponent, and every bit of percentage counts at the highest level.”
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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray had a great rivalry when the Briton was still playing tennis
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“I’m not looking to transform my game completely. I mean, I’m not going to be Giovanni [Mpetshi Perricard] serving two first serves and coming in to the net,” he added with a smile.
The Serbian emphasised his commitment to improvement: “I definitely am looking to improve every single shot that I have in my game, and maybe something that people don’t necessarily see is this court positioning, the transition play, the tactics.”
Djokovic has won a staggering 10 Australian Open titles throughout his career.
His last victory came back in 2023, when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to secure glory.
Djokovic also recently admitted it felt ‘strange’ to be working with Murray after so many years of being rivals.
“Being on the same side of the net is actually great for a change because he’s been one of my greatest rivals,” Djokovic said on the ATP website.
“In a way it was strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I’m going through, what I’m thinking about, how I see my game with somebody that has been always one of the top rivals.
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“But I’m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me here in Australia.
“The 10 days that we spent together were terrific. I enjoyed every bit of it. He’s very meticulous, he’s very dedicated, so professional.
“He has a unique perspective on my game as one of the greatest rivals that I’ve had. He knows the pros and cons of my game.
Novak Djokovic will be hoping to win the 25th Grand Slam of his career when the Australian Open commences
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“He has also played up to recently on the tour, so he knows all the other best players currently in the world, the youngsters and the weaknesses and strengths in their game. So I look forward to it, I really do.
“I think he’s bringing a fresh look to my game and I think I’ll be able to benefit from that, no doubt, on the tennis court. But also that kind of champion’s mentality that he has, I’m sure that we’ll match very well.”
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