Andy Murray Okay With Novak Djokovic Shouting At Him Under One Condition
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Novak Djokovic's new coach, Andy Murray, has said he does not mind the Serbian venting towards him as long as he is doing one specific thing during matches.
Murray knows what Djokovic is like on the court as well as anyone. He competed against him 36 times throughout his career, including finals at all four Grand Slams, the showpiece match at the ATP Finals, and the 2012 Olympics.
While three-time major champion Murray stopped challenging at the most significant tournaments after 2017 because of a severe hip injury, Djokovic added 12 more Grand Slams since his former rival's Wimbledon title in 2016.
Although Djokovic secured the Olympic gold he had craved for many years in Paris, the 37-year-old's domination of the sport ended in 2024. Last year, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz split the four Grand Slams.
That raised questions about how much longer Djokovic would be able to stay competitive at the top of men's tennis. He responded by hiring Murray as his coach until at least the end of the Australian Open, despite the Briton having no previous coaching experience.
Djokovic and Murray communicated constantly during the changeovers in a session with Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne, which ended with Djokovic beating his young rival 7-5 during a practice set. They discussed topics such as the tennis legend's forehand swing and the timing of his split step.
After Djokovic defeated Alexander Zverev in an exhibition match, Murray joked that he joined the 24-time Grand Slam champion's team to sabotage his chances after losing four Australian Open finals to him during his career.
Although Djokovic enjoyed close relationships with his coaches, including Goran Ivanisevic and Marian Vajda, he also tends to direct heated comments towards his team during stressful matches.
Four-time Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman is interested to see what will happen if Djokovic shouts at Murray when stressed during the Australian Open. Henman thinks there could be fireworks between the pair.
However, Murray might be among the best-equipped to handle Djokovic doing that because the two-time Olympic gold medalist was even more prone to shouting at team members during matches, especially in his prime years.
Speaking to reporters in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, Murray said he is fine with Djokovic shouting at him because of how tough it can get on the court, but only if the Serbian is trying as hard as possible.
"Of course I've thought about it. I would think that I'd be one of the people that would maybe, hopefully, understand that side of things. I know it's not easy out there, and it's stressful, and at times he's going to want to vent towards his team and his box."
"Providing that he's giving his best effort and trying as hard as he can, I'm absolutely fine with him expressing himself how he wants."
Fans worldwide are fascinated to observe whether Murray can help Djokovic at the Australian Open. His presence in Djokovic's box will add intrigue to the Serbian's matches at the season's opening Grand Slam.
