Andy Murray will hope to play a part in Novak Djokovic earning an 11th Australian Open title in 2025 (Image: AP)
‘s decision to coach in his first venture into coaching has left Laura Robson’s claim that the Brit would instead train a junior player wide of the mark. The Serbian shocked the world on Saturday (November 23) when he announced that Murray – who was one of his greatest rivals – would coach him ahead of January’s Australian Open.
Having earned 11 of his 24 Grand Slams down under, the 37-year-old will hope to add his tally under the tutelage of Murray, who retired from the sport earlier this summer after his participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Robson has quite the history with her fellow Brit, who she won Olympic silver in the mixed doubles in London 2012.
Earlier this year, she tipped Murray for a career in coaching following his on-court retirement and admitted she had personally told him that he would be “amazing” in the role. She told the “Andy would be a great coach to anyone, I’ve said this to him over the last couple weeks when I have seen him: You would be amazing!”
Almost spot on with her analysis of Murray’s post-playing career, Robson only went wrong when claiming that the three-time Grand Slam champion would prefer to coach a junior player, while he instead opted for one of the greatest players to ever grace the court.
She added: “He’s got such an analytical mind. He loves the technique and the tactics and all the minor details you can do in tennis to improve by one per cent. He’d be great at working with anyone. I know he has been helping some of the junior guys. He invited them to some practice sessions and he had some time in Greece with them before the Olympics. I think in a way he would prefer a junior, because then it’s a fresh challenge.”
Djokovic’s poignant announcement of his partnership with Murray spoke of a “final chapter” between the pair as he wrote: “We played each other since we were boys. “Twenty-five years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits,” said Djokovic. “We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game changers, risk takers, history makers.
Andy Murray and Laura Robson attended last year’s Wimbledon together (Image: Getty)
“I thought our story may be over. It turns out, it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome on board coach .” The two icons of the sport were thrilled whenever they clashed on the court, having met each other 36 times in their professional careers. Djokovic took the lion’s share of victories with 25, compared to Murray’s 11.
The Brit did perhaps take the sweetest triumph of them all when besting Djokovic in the 2013 final when he became the first British men’s singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936.