The tennis world loves its surprises, but Novak Djokovic has truly outdone himself this time! Over the weekend, the 24-time Grand Slam champ dropped a bombshell—teaming up with none other than Andy Murray, his long-time rival and fellow tennis legend. What about fans? Losing their minds. Experts? Scrambling for hot takes. And now, Andy Roddick has entered the chat with his own unique spin on the unexpected partnership. Roddick, one who never shies away from sharing his bold opinion, drew an intriguing comparison, linking this Djokovic-Murray alliance to Rafael Nadal’s recent retirement.

The Serbian tennis sensation took to his social media platforms on November 23rd, Saturday,  to confirm the news of his partnership which will continue at least till the Australian Open next year. “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net, as my coach,” he shared. Murray echoed him in a similar tone, expressing his excitement for the new role after his retirement. However, Roddick seems to be viewing the entire episode with a different lens and considers it to be an attempt to shadow the buzz and sensational that was created after Nadal’s retirement.

The 2003 US Open champion engaged in an interaction with journalist Jon Wertheim for the November 26th episode of Served with Roddick Podcast. The duo deliberated on a wide range of factors but the major highlight revolved around Djokovic’s partnership with Murray and Rafa’s retirement from the sport. Interestingly, Roddick believes that the main reason behind announcing it on Saturday was to take over the week’s major headlines. Speaking in the interview, Roddick said, “Rafa retired this week. Should we dominate the headlines? There was Zero reason why this need to be announced (this week).” Continuing further, he shared that the announcement of the news could have been delayed. 

“I love it but I would have been equally excited if someone would have gotten a screenshot at a tennis club in Belgrade like three weeks from now. There was no rush,” he said on the podcast. He further highlighted “These are two of our best champions. Maybe we’ll learn why the urgency on Davis Cup Finals weekend.” While Djokovic’s announcement might be a completely normal and simple move Roddick’s analysis cannot be ignored completely. 

Remember, Nadal played his last match on Tuesday, November 19. He was baffled by Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. Interestingly, Murray and Djokovic announced their partnership the same week, at a time when the tennis world was still paying tribute to Rafa’s legacy and was not over his retirement. Besides, Nadal and Djokovic were two of the fiercest rivals on the tennis courts. Having played 60 matches against each other, with Djokovic leading the tally only by a small margin 31-29, the exemplified an ideal rivalry. 

Additionally, the two have always found their fans and experts engaged in the prominent ‘GOAT’ debate. While many admire Nole to be the greatest of all time in the sport due to his 24 Grand Slam titles and other accolades, others believe Rafa to be the legend because of his humility, 22 Grand Slams, and dominance on clay courts. Now, with such circumstances in hand, Roddick’s analysis of the situation definitely holds some ground and makes the entire episode interesting. 

While the real reason for this announcement at such a time might never be known, the partnership between Djokovic and Murray is definitely fueling some predictions. And while Roddick has fuelled some interesting angles, the partnership is already expected to witness the best of the Serbian star under Murray’s guidance. 

“About to witness a super Novak (Djokovic)” – French tennis player makes big prediction

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have continued to garner headlines with several players and experts sharing their take on how Djokovic can improve with Murray’s help. One such prediction came from French Doubles specialist, Nicolas Mahut, who believes Djokovic’s chances of lifting more Grand Slams have increased after partnering with Murray. 

Speaking to Eurosport, he shared, “Taking Andy, who was his rival for years and has known him since they were kids, is a very clever move.” Continuing further, he added, “It will give him a little boost—he’ll want to excel. I truly feel we’re about to witness a super Novak… Seeing these legends of the sport return and help other players seems incredible to me”  

Now, as speculations and predictions continue, it would be interesting to see how this partnership actually unfolds and if the Serb can gain some benefit from it. Will Djokovic or Murray come out to respond to Andy Roddick’s latest unique comparison? Well, that remains to be seen.