“I’m excited to have one of my greatest rivals in my team, on the same side of the net, this time as my coach,” Novak Djokovic introduced none other than former British star Andy Murray as his coach. The initial plan was to work together only during the Australian Open. And, after Djoker’s forced exit from the SF against Alexander Zverev, owing to a persistent hamstring injury, the future of this partnership looked uncertain. But eventually, they kept the collaboration going. However, Djokovic’s back-to-back failures in ATP events lately have prompted a former American pro to make an unpleasant prediction about this player-coach partnership between Djokovic and Murray. Is it going to end too soon?

“I’ll be joining Novak’s team during the preparation period, helping him prepare for the Australian Open. I’m really excited about it and I am looking forward to being on the same side of the net for a change. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to help him achieve his goals,” said Murray while joining Djokovic’s team as a coach, as reported by his official website in November 2024.

While the excitement was palpable when the rivals came together in a new setup, it soon died down following the results. Chasing a record 25th slam in Australia, and his 100th ATP trophy, Djokovic couldn’t turn his dream into reality. His injuries got the better of him. The Serb maestro suffered a leg injury in the QF against Carlos Alcaraz. While he won that match, he didn’t go for practice ahead of the SF encounter against Zverev. And the fears came true when he withdrew ahead of the second set in the semifinal after losing the first one. He couldn’t bear the pain anymore.

After recovering, Djokovic failed to shine in Doha, where he was ousted in R32 after Italy’s Matteo Berrettini beat him 7-6(4), 6-2. And his fate remained the same in Indian Wells as well. Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp edged him out with a score line of 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in R64. The Serb then managed to reach the final of the Miami Open. But a 19-year-old, Jakub Mensik, stopped him from winning his 100th ATP trophy. Djokovic’s form took a dip again at the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open. He was ousted in R32 and then R64, respectively.

Looking at Djoker’s struggles to clinch a 25th slam and 100th ATP title, former American pro Steve Johnson has now come up with a wild prediction. Especially for the current player-coach relationship between the Serbian and Andy Murray. In an episode of the Nothing Major podcast, dated April 29, Johnson said that the partnership only “worked at the beginning of the year in Australia.”

He continued, “He’s completed the game of tennis, like, what is there left to win other than a grand slam? So it’s just, I think it’s just hard for him to get his juices going for these thousand-level tournaments when the only thing that’s going to further his legacy is a slam title. So unless we see something different in Roland Garros and Wimbi (Wimbledon) in the summer, it’s hard to see right now, and it’s very weird to watch Novak playing tennis because he had an entire aura of invincibility during the entirety of our careers. So it’s very strange to watch him lose matches like this consecutively. I don’t see the Murray partnership paying off.”

Interestingly, Johnson also mentioned that Djokovic wouldn’t necessarily end this collaboration anytime soon. “It would be a weird timing to have them not play or not be together for Wimbi. Like, they partner all year, and then they’re not together for Wimbi? So my assumption is that it goes to Wimbi then I don’t know,” he remarked.

Ex-pro Sam Querrey then made a crucial comment. He suggested that if Djokovic ends the partnership before Wimbledon, the “crowd could turn on” him at the All England Club. Johnson agreed, saying, “Exactly, he doesn’t want that. So I think Murray’s in the box for Wimbi no doubt.”

While the future looks bleak for this partnership, the 24-time slam champion seems to enjoy it. Last month, he expressed his honest thoughts on working alongside ‘coach’ Murray.

Novak Djokovic spills the beans on his partnership with Andy Murray

After witnessing back-to-back losses in the Qatar Open and Indian Wells, Novak Djokovic entered the Miami Open last month under some pressure, but he managed to win the first-round clash, beating Australia’s young player Rinky Hijikata 6-0, 7-6(1). It was the Serb’s first-ever match win in Miami since 2019.

During the post-match interview, the Serbian emphasized on his undying spirit to keep performing at the highest level. He said, “I wanted to make a statement to myself and to others that I’m still able to play at a high level. I lost two tournaments in the first rounds, so I really was eager to get the win in the first match in Miami. [I played] perfect tennis for a set and a half. I think he had stepped it up in the second set, deservedly took it to a tie-break, and then I played a great tie-break. All in all, there is always something you can work on, but for me it’s just about maintaining this level of tennis and trying to be even better if I can as the tournament progresses.”

Djokovic also threw light on his dynamics with Murray. “Just super-nice guy who cares about relationships, cares about this coach/player relation. We have, and he wants me to do well. He’s just a very genuine guy. I enjoy spending time with him, for sure,” Nole said.

How long do you see Djokovic-Muray partnership continue? Let us know in the comments below.