Andy Murray Reveals Why He Would Have Liked To Coach Roger Federer
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Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic's coaching partnership at the 2025 Australian Open generated headlines worldwide. The Briton recently revealed how fun he thinks coaching Roger Federer would have been.
Djokovic's announcement of Murray's appointment in November was among the biggest surprises of 2024. He had never previously coached a player and only retired from professional tennis in July at the 2024 Olympics.
Nonetheless, Djokovic felt his former rival was the right man for the job. The collaboration excited fans from all over the globe because of the epic rivalry they used to share, including contesting seven Grand Slam finals.
Federer also had a great rivalry with Murray. The Swiss maestro won their three Grand Slam finals, but he also lost 11 times to the two-time Olympic gold medalist and held a losing record against him until he won their last five matches.
Unlike Murray and Djokovic, whose playing styles were very similar, Federer's style contrasted with all his rivals. He brought a unique elegance and possessed a wider array of shots than anyone else at the top.
In an appearance on the Sporting Misadventures Podcast, Murray said that Federer having all the shots would have made being his coach entertaining because he was capable of doing anything.
"But I think coaching Roger would have been fun because he looks like it’s so natural – I don’t like (saying that because) he works extremely hard – but he just had all of the shots. You would have been able to ask him to do something, and he would have been able to do it."
While Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Murray, Federer's primary rivals for several years, got joy against him by being slightly superior on return and with greater backhand consistency, they were or are not capable of the variety and jaw-dropping shots Federer often produced.
The eight-time Wimbledon champion mesmerized fans for years with a combination of incredible groundstrokes, movement that looked effortless, a willingness to come to the net, and superb drop shots.
Although Murray correctly points out that Federer was only able to enjoy such an excellent career because he matched that talent with hard work, his analysis of the 43-year-old having all the shots is undoubtedly true.
The dynamic between Federer and Murray would probably have been different because of their differing playing styles. Federer is also older than the Briton, and they did know each other before Murray turned professional.
By contrast, Murray and Djokovic are the same age, played in juniors together, and possessed similar playing styles. Although it was hard for them to bond closely while rivals, they probably had an existing connection that helped them adapt to a player/coach dynamic.
Although neither man confirmed whether they would continue working together after the Australian Open, reports indicate that Djokovic and Murray will likely retain the partnership until at least Wimbledon.
That would be great news for tennis. Having Murray in Djokovic's corner throughout his matches was a terrific spectacle, and the Serbian praised his former rival's impact on him.
