ANDY Murray has taken on a new role after retiring from playing tennis.
The Scottish sporting legend will coach tennis star Novak Djokovic into and through the Australian Open, which is set to take place in January.
Announcing the news on social media, Djokovic said: “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net, as my coach.
He never liked retirement anyway. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ga4UlV2kQW
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 23, 2024
He said he was "looking forward to the start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on the Australian soil”.
Djokovic joked that Murray (below) “never liked retirement anyway”.
The comment is in reference to a tweet posted by Murray when he officially retired from playing the sport in August, when he wrote: “Never even liked tennis anyway.”
Never even liked tennis anyway.
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) August 1, 2024
Murray said: "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."
Murray retired from playing tennis after the summer Olympics, when he was defeated in the men's doubles quarter-finals alongside partner Dan Evans against Team USA.
Djokovic beat Murray in the 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Australian Open finals while also losing in the French Open final in 2016.
Djokovic, who split with coach Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year, hopes that adding Murray to his team will help him get back to the top of the game as he went through a calendar year without winning a grand slam for the first time since 2017.
