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Tennis Fans Stunned by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray Australian Open Coaching News
If tennis fans thought Rafael Nadal's retirement would be the biggest news of the 2024 calendar season, they were wrong.
24-time major champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday announced in a post onto his account on X (formerly Twitter) that longtime rival, friend and Andy Murray, who also stepped away from the sport this year, will be joining his team as a coach through the 2025 Australian Open.
"We played each other since we were boys," Djokovic said. "25 years of being rivals. Of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, history-makers. I thought our story may be over.
"Turns out, it has one final chapter. It's time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard, Coach Andy Murray."
He never liked retirement anyway. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ga4UlV2kQW
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 23, 2024
Tennis fans were stunned.
No way!!! Oh my God
— Puneet (@TennisPuneet) November 23, 2024
What a surprise!! Can’t wait to see what you guys will accomplish together!
— Gina Bontempo (@FlorioGina) November 23, 2024
omg
— Eva Lys (@evalys_) November 23, 2024
no way
— Derek Brad (@DerekBradPhoto) November 23, 2024
Even the ATP Tour was surprised.
Wasn’t on our 2024 bingo card…
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 23, 2024
But SO here for it 😎@andy_murray | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/e9T2eFW25i
hey, so this is insane! https://t.co/Y4syhjh4nb
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 23, 2024
Djokovic and Murray grew up competing against each other on the junior circuit, then took their rivalry to the ATP Tour, where they met 36 times, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 edge, including a 5-2 edge in major finals.
After six years together, Djokovic in March parted ways with coach Goran Ivanišević.
While Murray is expected to be a part of Djokovic's team through the 2025 Australian Open, it is currently unclear if the partnership will extend beyond the tennis calendar's first Grand Slam.
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Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.