The recently retiredĀ Andy MurrayĀ is going to team up with longtime rivalĀ Novak DjokovicĀ as his coach, they both announced Saturday, with plans to prepare for ā and work together through ā the Australian Open in January.
It was a stunning bit of news asĀ tennis moves toward its offseason, a pairing of two of the most successful and popular players in the sport, both of whom are sometimes referred to as members of a so-called Big Four that also included Roger Federer andĀ Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic is aĀ 24-time Grand Slam championĀ who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals and finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings.Ā He ended his playing careerĀ after the Paris Summer Games in August.
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Both men are 37 and were born a week apart in May 1987. They started facing each other as juniors and wound up meeting 36 times as professionals, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 advantage.
āWe played each other since we were boys ā 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,ā Djokovic posted onĀ social mediaĀ over photos and videos from some of their matches. āI thought our story may be over. Turns out, it has one final chapter. Itās time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome on board, Coach ā Andy Murray.ā
Djokovic's 2024 season is over, and it was not up to his usual, high standards.Ā He didn't win a Grand Slam trophy; his only title, though, was meaningful to him:Ā a gold medal for SerbiaĀ in singles at the Summer Games.
Djokovic has been without a full-time coach since splitting in March from Goran Ivanisevic.
āIām going to be joining Novakās team in the offseason, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open," Murray said in a statement released by his management team. "Iām really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.ā
Their head-to-head series on tour includes an 11-8 lead for Djokovic in finals, and 8-2 at Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic beat Murray four times in the Australian Open finalĀ alone ā in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Two of the most important victories of Murray's career came with Djokovic on the other side of the net. One was in theĀ 2012 U.S. Open final, when Murray claimed his first Grand Slam title. The other was in theĀ 2013 Wimbledon final, when Murray became the first British man in 77 years to win the singles championship at the All England Club.
Next year's Australian Open starts on Jan. 12.