Novak Djokovic believes he has made the ‘perfect’ choice by enlisting the help of Andy Murray despite claims that his former rival could become a target for ‘violent’ outbursts.
Murray has agreed to coach Djokovic during the off-season in a surprise development which made headlines earlier this month. They will also work together at the Australian Open, where Djokovic will be looking to end his Grand Slam drought.
Opening up on his decision to link up with Murray in an interview with Sky Sports, Djokovic explained that he wanted to appoint somebody who has first-hand experience of winning titles and competing at the highest level.
He said: “I took about six months to really think about if I really need a coach, and if yes, who that’s going to be and the profile of the coach.
“We were going through different names and I realised the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone that has been through the experiences that I’m going through, possible multiple Grand Slam winner, former No 1.
“I was thinking about different people and then an Andy Murray discussion appeared on the table with me and my team. It was still a shock decision. It caught him a little bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it.
“We connected really fast and he accepted after a few days. I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to me as well, to everyone, but it’s exciting for tennis.
“He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age. We’ve played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.”
It comes after French tennis star Nicolas Mahut suggested Djokovic could direct his anger towards Murray if things are not going well at the Australian Open.
He told Eurosport: “Both have had a tendency in their career to get carried away with their box, to sometimes have lapses or meltdowns. Andy will understand very well what Novak will feel on the field and he will also be able to help him, I think.”
Asked if he thought Djokovic would be as ‘violent’ towards Murray as he occasionally was with Goran Ivanisevic, Mahut replied: “He should be a little more measured but, in action, Novak deeply respected Ivanisevic and he targeted him several times.”
