Ever since the end of Novak Djokovic’s campaign at the Australian Open, only one question has kept his fans up at night: Will Andy Murray still remain his coach? The Serbian, back in November 2024, announced the arrival of the British legend to his team in a bid to help him win his 25th grand slam. However, his dreams were shattered when his campaign in Melbourne ended abruptly in the semi-finals, owing to a muscle tear. Now, back on the court, the Serb maestro is gearing up for the Qatar Open. However, Andy Murray went missing from his training session in Doha.

This eventually led to talks of a new coach joining in. A familiar name, Fernando Verdasco was seen training with the Serbian which led many to believe that he would be joining Djokovic’s team now. Verdasco, who has not competed on the tour since September 2023, has successfully trained the likes of Abdullah Shelbayh and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the past. But is he joining Djokovic’s coaching team?

Vojin Velickovic, the reporter of a local Serbian site Sportklub, cleared the air on X. “Verdasco did tell me that Novak will first train with him when he takes the court at the Khalifa Stadium today, but someone googled it wrong on the translator and ‘translated’ that it means that the Spaniard will be his coach here.”

Now ending the rumor once and for all, Novak Djokovic has finally spoken up on the issue himself. In an interview with Sportklub, the 24-time Grand Slam winner confirmed that Andy Murray is still his coach despite the rumors floating around. “Yes, my coach remained. We have an agreement to work for an indefinite period. It will be in America, and then probably a few clay tournaments after that, so we’ll see how it goes. So, the agreement still exists,” Djokovic said.

But, why was Verdasco training with the Serb then? Responding to that, Djokovic said with a smile, “Actually something else is on the horizon, but I can’t say that because he should, I think, announce it tonight.”

Novak Djokovic will be participating in the Qatar Open after missing the event last year. Already a winner of the event back in 2016 and 2017, he will look to end his title drought which has now stretched over a year. However, his fitness still remains a major concern for many. It’ll be interesting to see if he turns up for the event in peak fitness.

While his singles campaign will be interesting to watch, there’s special news for all his fans, and it surely involves Fernando Verdasco.

Novak Djokovic to play doubles in Doha with Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco last played on the tour in Sevilla, Spain where he was defeated by Hugo Gaston in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. However, since then, he has not stepped on the court. But now, he has announced that he will be playing his last match at ATP Doha. And what’s even more special is that Novak Djokovic will be joining him for his farewell event. In a recent Instagram post, the Spaniard disclosed the news of Djokovic partnering him.

Talking about the on-court rivalry between Djokovic and Verdasco, the former has single-handedly dominated the charts, leading the head-to-head 11-4. And, now they’ll be teaming up for the Spaniard’s final appearance on the tour. “After so many incredible years on the ATP Tour, the time has come for my final tournament at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open,” Verdasco wrote on Instagram. “And what better way to finish than playing doubles with my friend Novak Djokovic, a true legend of our sport and one of the best athletes of all time.”

“I’m going to enjoy every moment and give it my all one last time. Thank you everyone that has been there for me during all my career in the good and in the bad times. Let’s make this week unforgettable,” he further added.

With these two pairing up, it will be interesting to see how things unfold. For now, the confusion around Djokovic’s coaching saga has cleared with Andy Murray staying in his team. But how long do you think their association will continue? Share your thoughts in the comments below.