Novak Djokovic admits it has been “strange” to have Andy Murray working as his coach but believes he will benefit from one of his greatest rivals taking a “fresh look” at his game.
Murray, who retired after the Paris Olympics at the age of 37, made the shock decision to join Djokovic’s team in November and recently spent 10 days with the Serb in preparation for the new season.
Although Murray is not with Djokovic for this week’s Brisbane International, the two-time Wimbledon champion will join him in Melbourne for training ahead of the Australian Open.
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Djokovic explains why he chose former rival Murray as his new coach
“Being on the same side of the net is actually great for a change because he’s been one of my greatest rivals,” Djokovic said on the ATP website.
“In a way it was strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I’m going through, what I’m thinking about, how I see my game with somebody that has been always one of the top rivals.
“But I’m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me here in Australia.
“The 10 days that we spent together were terrific. I enjoyed every bit of it. He’s very meticulous, he’s very dedicated, so professional.
“He has a unique perspective on my game as one of the greatest rivals that I’ve had. He knows the pros and cons of my game.
“He has also played up to recently on the tour, so he knows all the other best players currently in the world, the youngsters and the weaknesses and strengths in their game. So I look forward to it, I really do.
“I think he’s bringing a fresh look to my game and I think I’ll be able to benefit from that, no doubt, on the tennis court. But also that kind of champion’s mentality that he has, I’m sure that we’ll match very well.”
Djokovic blames ‘lack of transparency’ in Sinner doping case
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Nick Kyrgios has spoken out after both Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner have faced doping charges
The 24-time Grand Slam winner has also spoken of his frustration at being “kept in the dark” over Jannik Sinner’s doping case, accusing the game’s authorities of double standards and a lack of transparency.
It was announced in August that Sinner had failed two doping tests in March but was cleared of fault, while in November Iga Swiatek was handed a one-month ban for a failed test caused by contaminated medication.
“It’s not a good image, not a good look for our sport,” Djokovic said. “I believe that in the last 20-plus years that I’ve been playing on the professional tour that we’ve been one of the cleanest sports.
“I’m just questioning the way the system works really and why certain players are not treated the same like the other players. The issue is the inconsistency, the transparency.
“We’ve been kept in the dark with Jannik’s case. I’m not questioning whether he took the banned substance intentionally or not.
“I believe in the clean sport, I believe the player will do everything possible to be playing fair and I’ve known Jannik since he was very young – he doesn’t strike me as somebody that would do such a thing.
“But I’ve been really frustrated, as most of the players [have], to see that we’ve been kept in the dark for five months.”
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A look at the best and biggest moments of Sinner from 2024
The Olympic gold medallist will aim to win his 100th ATP singles title in Brisbane before chasing a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and record-breaking 25th Grand Slam.
