“He never liked retirement anyway,” wrote Novak Djokovic when he stunned the tennis world with a major update about his partnership with Andy Murray. Having shared rivalry with Andy Murray for years, the Serbian announced that he will now be working with the British legend for the upcoming Australian Open. Ever since then, talks around how the two will perform have been streaking through the tennis town. Speaking on the same is a former pro who made a bold announcement about the current best players.

Mats Wilander, former world number one and Eurosport commentator, believes Novak Djokovic’s decision to work with Andy Murray for the Australian Open is a bold statement. Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, is gearing up for a strong comeback in 2025 after a challenging year. Wilander sees this partnership as a message to rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“Djokovic wants to win at least one more Slam. Of course, all of us tennis fans would love to see him reach 25 and be remembered as the best of all time,” Wilander said. He highlighted the significance of Djokovic’s pursuit to surpass Margaret Court, who also holds 24 Grand Slam titles (the maximum Grand Slams won by anyone).

Wilander explained that Djokovic and Murray share a deep understanding of how to prepare for Grand Slams. “They both have exactly the same idea about how to prepare for a Slam and how to play five-set matches. Do we play quick points? Do we play long points? How good is my opponent after five hours?” Wilander further added in his statements.

He further said that Djokovic wants to send a clear message to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. While they have been dominating the tennis courts, he wants to make sure that he presents a mega challenge in Australia. ” I think it’s a message that says, “Hey, next year for 15 to 20 weeks I think I can still play my best tennis. I’m going to be ready for every opponent,” he concluded.

Despite remaining title-less in 2024, Djokovic sent a strong message by defeating Alcaraz for Olympic gold. However, when it came to Jannik Sinner, he could not stand up to the Italian and lost against him twice. But, with the new partnership coming in, Wilander believes that it signals Djokovic’s intent to dominate in the coming year. While nobody knows how the partnership came into being, Andy Roddick and renowned sports journalist, Jon Werthiem, revealed how the decision came to pass.

Andy Roddick exposes some behind-the-scenes of the Novak Djokovic Murray partnership

Andy Roddick recently shared fascinating details about the surprising partnership between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the former world no. 1 revealed how Murray’s decision came after turning down multiple offers from other players in the last few months.

“I’ve heard that top players, male and female, Andy Murray has said no to many over these last four months,” Roddick said, suggesting the rarity of Murray accepting a coaching role.

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim, who joined Roddick on the podcast, elaborated on the situation. He provided insights into Murray’s decision-making process. “This is not the first player that has reached out to Andy,” Wertheim said. He explained that those close to Murray encouraged him not to pass on this unique opportunity. “Andy’s family unit basically said, ‘You are going to regret it if you don’t do this,’” added Wertheim.

Wertheim also highlighted the commitment involved, as Murray will be traveling across oceans and time zones to work with Djokovic in Australia. According to Wertheim, people close to Murray advised, “We know you too well, we know you are going to regret it if you say no to this. Go ahead and see how it goes.”

Thus, ahead of the partnership, a lot of things are being expected from the two. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think they will flourish together in Australia? Do let us know in the comments below!