Novak Djokovic‘s announcement that Andy Murray, his longtime rival and friend, would be joining his coaching team was huge news in 2024. “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,” Djokovic said at the time. The initial plan was a trial period, with Murray helping Djokovic pursue his 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Unfortunately, Djokovic had to withdraw from the semifinals due to a hamstring injury. Since then, everyone’s been wondering about the future of their partnership…until now.

“We had a chat the day after I finished the tournament and we reflected on the period we spent together,” Djokovic told the ATP Tour’s media channel two days ago. “We agreed he was going to take some time and think, speak with his family members and see if he decides to keep working. I expressed my desire to continue the collaboration with him so I am really glad he did accept.” Hence, Murray has agreed to stay his trainer for an “indefinite” duration.

Well, it appears the latest update on their extended partnership might be exciting for the sport itself. At least that’s what former British WTA pro Laura Robson believes. Robson, now a Eurosport expert said, “Andy, for sure, doesn’t want to do long stints at a time away from home when he literally just retired a few months ago. I imagine that it took some effort to work out amongst themselves and also their agents, I’m sure.”

However, what matters now is the fact that “he’s (Murray) back and wanting to continue, because I know from seeing Andy on the courts in Australia, he was really excited at the prospect of hanging around and being together again and was just sinking his teeth into it and getting invested in the tactics. You could see from the side of the court how much he wanted Novak to win. So to carry it on, I think it is really cool for tennis to have that storyline ongoing.”

While Djokovic has opted to elongate his partnership with Murray, there’s also a special reason behind it. And what’s that?

Novak Djokovic impressed with Andy Murray’s ‘unique perspective’

In an interview with SkySports, Novak Djokovic was asked whether he learned anything from his old rival, who has defeated him 11 out of 36 times in ATP battles. The Serbian replied, “Yes, to some extent.” “He obviously has a unique perspective on my game.” But how?

“He has played me and all of the current best players in the world and knows everyone well.” And hence, “He knows exactly what we need to do tactically – the evolution of my game and what needs to be improved.” Djokovic also stated that Murray always keeps a “positive approach.”

Plus, he has “handled the whole pressure very well as it is a completely different situation from being there as a player.” He also mentioned that despite the setback in Australia, due to the injury, Murray “has been terrific with all the other team members,” and they “had a great run.”

After having to retire down under, Djokovic didn’t get to celebrate his comeback earlier this week. In Doha, he failed to overcome the challenge of a determined Matteo Berrettini. The World No.35 didn’t give the Serbian a chance to come back. Eventually, the Italian beat him in straight sets with a score line of 7-6(4), 6-2 in the R32 on Tuesday. After the loss, Djokovic confessed, “I was outplayed by just a better player today,” reported ATP’s website. However, the Serbian is still leading against the Italian, 4-1.

Djoker’s avid fans will hope for his remarkable return on the court sooner than later in 2025. What are your thoughts on his prospects going forward? Let us know in the comments below.