Since Novak Djokovic appointed Andy Murray as his coach many questioned what might be the Brit's input, and Andy Roddick maybe has an answer.
Djokovic shocked the tennis world by appointing Andy Murray as his new coach. This partnership will start already during the off-season, with the Australian Open being the first Grand Slam that the two will complete together.
It was a shocking move because of multiple reasons. Not only did the two compete on the tennis courts against each other only a few years ago, but Murray retired from the sport only this year.
It was an unexpected move, and even though the retired British player was one of the most tactically equipped players, his role in Djokovic's team has been questioned ever since the announcement was made.
He certainly won't teach the 24-time Grand Slam champion how to hit a forehand or a backhand, and there is an incredibly long list of things that Djokovic doesn't need to be taught.
Still, Andy Roddick, who, like the two, is also a former World No. 1, has an idea about what Murray's role in the team might be. He discussed it during the most recent episode of his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, explaining that Djokovic needs someone who sees the game better than others to talk to.
"Novak doesn’t need a babysitter. He doesn’t need someone to teach him professionalism. He doesn’t need someone to teach him how to hit a forehand or a backhand. He needs a strategist and IQ mind that he can bounce ideas off and work on very specific things for very specific matchups."
Roddick also suggested that Djokovic needs someone who could understand how it feels to be almost 40 and fight on the tennis courts. With Djokovic and Murray's age being separated by only seven days, the British player will know best how his former rival feels like.
On top of that, he played some incredible marathons in recent years, experiencing everything that Djokovic might experience in the closing stages of his illustrious tennis career.
"He needs someone who understands if he gets through a five-setter in the Round of 16 of Australia [Open], ‘What do we need to do to recover? This is the way I’m feeling. What’s your feedback? I know you have lived this very recently.’ He needs that. He needs confidence."
At the same time, Roddick believes that when Djokovic has some questions, he might not be necessarily looking for answers, but for confirmation that his point of view is correct, something Murray might provide.
"With Novak, the rare times when he has to ask a question, not because he doesn’t know the answer but because maybe there’s an answer that will give him more confidence in the solution."
"That’s what he’s getting. He’s [Murray] not there is no fix. How do you fix Novak Djokovic? You can’t because the guy's a robotic, cyborg genius. Like there’s no fix."