"In a way it was strange for me": Novak Djokovic opens up about working 10 days with new coach Andy Murray

Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic has stated that it was ‘strange’ to share secrets with once rival and now Andy Murray. The 37-year-old, who is regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, has recently hired his former rival Murray as his coach.

The reason for that was a rather below-par season for the former world number one in 2024, where, for the first time in seven years, he failed to win a single Grand Slam. That’s not it, as he also failed to win any ATP event in a calendar year. The decision was a surprising one, considering that Murray retired from professional tennis earlier this year after taking part in the Paris Olympics.

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Djokovic was recently quoted in a report by the ATP website, in which he spoke about how strange it has been to share his secrets with his one-time rival and now coach, Murray. The Belgrade-born star also thanked Murray for accepting a role with him in Australia and believes that his presence will definitely help him have a fresh perspective on the sport going into the 2025 season.

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“Being on the same side of the net is actually great for a change because he’s been one of my greatest rivals,” he said. “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. 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. 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.”

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