Notion Novak Djokovic is 'winding down' by hiring Andy Murray as new coach rubbished by ex-coach Mark Petchey

Monday, 02 December 2024 at 18:30

Novak Djokovic hiring Andy Murray as a way of winding down has been bandied around by some as a potential reason why he has brought in the Brit who has no experience and will be taking his first job. But that notion has been rubbished by Mark Petchey who previously coached the Brit.

Petchey uses his own experience with Murray during the interview with Betway to analyse what he will bring to the table and also said that the competitive spirit prevents him from being anything other than wired to win and he will do just that with Djokovic.

“Knowing Andy as well as I do, there’s no question that he will already be going through Novak's matches from this year with a fine tooth comb, the battles that he's had with Carlos and Jannik and what's worked but what hasn't worked," said Petchey to Betway.

“I've seen people say this is Novak at the end of his career kind of winding down potentially by hiring a mate. That’s absolute bulls***. Andy is not wired that way. He wouldn't let me beat him in a video game.

“He will not go into Australia with Novak if it isn't to win another Australian Open, his 25th Major and a record 11th Australian Open.

“This is a great challenge for Andy. This for most of these great champions is a period of going into the void, trying to figure out how he can find some value in his life. It's very tough for a lot of these great champions to do that.

“They can never recreate what they had, never relive those emotions that he would have had on Centre Court or at Flushing Meadows, or in the Davis Cup.

“Some former players, like Ivan Lendl, have found solace in golf and there are a lot of similarities in Ivan's career and the way that Andy is probably going to be in his retirement.

“Ivan has obviously been the greatest influence on Andy's career and there’s a blueprint there for Andy as he goes through the rest of his life.”

Seen by some as a vanity project, Mark Petchey thinks diffeently.

Petchey left shocked at Murray hire

While Petchey thought Murray would go into coaching, he didn't think it would be as soon as it was. Andy Roddick for instance called out the duo for spoiling Rafael Nadal's retirement by finding their way into the news and usurping him as a result.

“Surprised like everybody else! I think even Russell Grant in his heyday as a forecaster would have struggled to see that one coming.

“I’ve said it a few times that Andy [Murray]would go into coaching but I didn't think in my wildest dreams it would be quite as quickly as this and with Novak [Djokovic]!

“I think it's awesome for tennis and I think it's great for both of them in terms of the passion that they bring to the sport and the knowledge that they have.

“It’s going to be fascinating for all of us sitting on the sidelines to see how this partnership is going to work. Sitting here outside the ring looking in at those two, I think it's going to be a great thing for tennis. It's already created huge headlines and I think it will create a huge buzz down in Australia.”

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“Andy is unbelievable on the data side. He thinks strategically. Everybody understands that he sees the game in a way that is pretty unique and there are only a few players out there who see the game the same way that he does from an IQ point of view. Clearly Novak is one of those.

“So you are looking at a meeting of the minds in terms of how they perceive tennis, how it's played, the geometry of the court, the understanding of the pressure of the moments, of playing the big points well.

“Nobody's going to get that as well as Andy does and I think that Novak, at this stage of his career, is clearly looking for somebody that understands those situations and the pressures that he'll be under. It is very much a meeting in the minds in that regard.

“Where Andy is going to be very strong is reiterating what he found very difficult playing Novak; that is probably something Novak needs to be reminded of just how difficult he is to beat playing his way.

“There have been times in the season with the emergence of Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] that maybe he feels that he needs to make some adjustments in his game that maybe Andy will say, ‘No, when I played you this was almost impossible for me to get through and you need to remember how difficult that is, when you play like this, for me to beat you. It’ll be the same even for people like Alcaraz and Sinner.’

“So I think there may be a little bit of a trip down memory lane for Novak that Andy can bring to him. It doesn't need to be a recalibration, but it just needs a reinforcement of just how great Novak is doing the things that he does.”

No time to rest @DjokerNole - coach @andy_murray is watching 👀😅 pic.twitter.com/5JDVmsUur6
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 30, 2024

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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