“He never liked retirement anyway,” Novak Djokovic joked in a post on social media. The 24-time Grand Slam champion shocked the tennis world by announcing he had hired his old rival Andy Murray as his coach.

Djokovic announced the news with a candid 37-second video showing clips of their legendary rivalry on the tennis court.

“We have competed against each other since we were boys – 25 years of being rivals, pushing each other to the limits. We have experienced some of the most epic battles in our sport.

They called us game changers, risk takers and history makers. I thought maybe our story was over. Turns out there’s a final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to enter my camp. Welcome aboard, coach Andy Murray,” concluded Djokovic.

Murray confirmed the news with a statement through his management team. “I will be joining Novak’s team during the offseason, to help him prepare for the Australian Open. I’m really excited and can’t wait to spend some time on the same side of the net as Novak for change, helping him to achieve his goals.

Djokovic is coming off a roller coaster season. He finished the year ranked 7th in the world with a 37-9 record. His one title was arguably his most important: a gold medal for Serbia at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Djokovic recovered from a knee injury suffered at Roland Garros to advance to the Wimbledon final. However, Djokovic did not win a Grand Slam title this year. He also made it to the ATP Finals, but opted not to play due to a ongoing injury.

Meanwhile, 2024 served as a farewell tour for Murray. He injured his back during the Queen’s Club Championships and ultimately missed the opportunity to play at Wimbledon one last time.

Although much is made of the rivalry between Djokovic and Murray, they have a strong friendship that is more important than tennis. The two men are 37 years old and were born a week apart in May 1987. They first faced each other as juniors and have faced each other 36 times as professionals, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 advantage.

Their head-to-head series on the ATP Tour includes an 11-8 lead for Djokovic in the final and 8-2 at Grand Slam tournaments. However, two of Murray’s three major titles came against Djokovic. Murray got the better of Djokovic in the 2011 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon finals.

Djokovic has beaten Murray four times in the Australian Open final alone – in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. But with a new generation of star tennis players on the rise, Djokovic could benefit from having Murray in his corner rather than on the opposite side of the team. net.

Next year’s Australian Open starts on January 12, but Djokovic plans to play a small tournament before the Major to help prepare. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated Serve on IF for all the most important sports news.