Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic on the forthcoming 2025 Australian Open, the pair have confirmed in a shock announcement.

Murray introduced his retirement from tennis after the Paris Olympics, his ultimate match a males’s doubles encounter alongside Dan Evans within the quarter-finals in opposition to Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.

In a press release, the 37-year-old mentioned: “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open. I’m 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.”

Djokovic added: “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net as my coach. Looking forward to the start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy, with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on Australian soil.”

The present males’s No 7 heads to Melbourne searching for a twenty fifth grand slam title, which incorporates 10 Australian Opens.

On 4 events, it was Murray he beat within the ultimate, in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Now the 2 males, who have been born every week aside in 1987, will probably be in the identical nook.

It is the most important indication but that Murray’s future lies in teaching, along with his subsequent steps the topic of hypothesis after hanging up his racket.

The two-time Wimbledon champion had hinted he wished to “try some different things”, saying a theatre tour “Centre Stage” hosted by BBC broadcaster Andrew Cotter.

The Australian Open begins on 12 January, with the boys’s ultimate happening on 26 January.

Djokovic has received 4 of the final six however fell on the semi-final stage earlier this yr to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. He didn’t play the event in 2022 as a result of a visa row over his refusal to be vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19, which led to his deportation on the eve of the slam.

In April, Djokovic cut up with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic and has turned to each Nenad Zimonjic and Boris Bosnjakovic since then – however he had even toyed with teaching himself and abandoning a full-time coach altogether.

Analysis: Murray has been a mentor to many already

By Michael Hincks

This unlikely union is 25 years within the making.

Both 37, Djokovic and Murray first met at an under-12s youth event in France.

“In our first match, Andy destroyed me,” Djokovic recalled in 2011, earlier than including: “I know he has the ability to win a grand slam, he’s a great talent.”

Murray would finally win two of his three grand slams by beating Djokovic within the ultimate – the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 – earlier than additionally successful a memorable ATP Finals showdown that noticed the Briton finish 2016 because the world No 1.

At a time when three extraterrestrials have been gracing the sport, this achievement required graft from the human endlessly working to chase them down, and so it was arguably what broke him, too.

Nevertheless, Murray solely drew larger admiration from his rivals within the injury-plagued years that adopted, and whereas Djokovic would finish their head-to-head with a beneficial 25-11 file by the point Murray lastly hung up his racket, the Serbian has clearly discovered there are classes to be discovered from one among his biggest rivals.

So as Djokovic carries the baton of the previous guard alone in gentle of Rafael Nadal’s current retirement, he won’t be alone in pursuit of slam No 25 as Murray takes on his first official function as coach.

Ask Murray’s friends and compatriots and they’re going to say he has been a coach for years already. Cut by the dry humour that some simply don’t get and here’s a former participant who willingly took on the function of mentor all through his profession.

The standout is his relationship with Nick Kyrgios, a divisive character however a participant Murray realised wanted a serving to hand, particularly by the Australian’s darkest durations when he was self-harming.

“Andy was always a big supporter of me,” Kyrgios mentioned on Piers Morgan Uncensored final yr. “As soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing. Then he realised later in my career that I don’t think I was coachable or I was on my own path, but he was always someone that was looking out for me.

“He saw it [the self-harm] and he said, ‘What’s that on your arm?’ It was pretty bad at that stage. Andy obviously was trying to give me advice on it. But I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen. Obviously I’m very thankful. I thank him a lot.”

Upon changing into the veteran of British tennis, Murray additionally shortly developed a rapport with Jack Draper – see, since you should, the automobile video – and introduced one of the best out of Dan Evans on the Olympics this summer season.

As a consequence, Murray – who additionally carried Great Britain to Davis Cup glory in 2015 – was talked up as a future mentor or coach by British gamers earlier this yr.

“Whether it is mentoring players, being an individual coach or the Davis Cup captain, everybody would love to see that,” doubles specialist Joe Salisbury mentioned in July. “I think he would enjoy staying in the sport and making an impact.”

British No 1 Katie Boulter added: “He has been such an asset to British tennis, I don’t doubt for a second he is going to find a way to stay here. In some format, he is going to be around. I know he is not going to completely disappear off this planet.”

These predictions have rung true. Djokovic will hope it’s sufficient to surpass Margaret Court’s grand slam file (they’re stage on 24), whereas Murray could view it as the primary stepping stone in the direction of a extra everlasting function with one other participant sooner or later.

It’s an thrilling prospect, due to this fact, and will make for some entertaining exchanges with the gamers’ field in Melbourne.