Andy Roddick insinuated that Novak Djokovic announced Andy Murray as his coach to overshadow Rafael Nadal's retirement.
Nine days have passed since Nadal's emotional farewell to tennis. Djokovic is now the only member of the trio—himself, Nadal, and Roger Federer—still playing after they dominated the sport for so many years.
Murray was their most prominent challenger until 2017. The Briton won three Grand Slams and made 11 finals, and would almost certainly have reached more were it not for a severe hip injury that derailed him for seven years until he retired this year.
Nadal's career ended after Team Spain's Davis Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands. Sadly, the 22-time Grand Slam champion did not bow out in the manner he hoped after losing his final professional match against Botic van de Zandschulp.
Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers's loss in the doubles match to Wesley Koolhof and van de Zandschulp confirmed Team Spain's elimination from the Davis Cup and the end of Nadal's career.
An emotional retirement ceremony followed that, although it was also criticized for not giving Nadal the send-off he deserved. Toni Nadal said the ceremony did not meet his expectations, and Carlos Moya called it shabby.
The president of the International Tennis Federation, David Haggerty, defended the ceremony, saying Nadal had been consulted and was celebrated and honored in the way that he wanted.
One of the greatest players in tennis history retiring and some notable figures in his life feeling he was not given a fitting send-off could have dominated the headlines for at least a week after, but Djokovic stopped that.
The legendary Serbian announced on Saturday that his former rival on the court, Murray, would coach him until at least the end of the 2025 Australian Open. At this stage, it is unknown whether the deal could be extended further afterward.
Djokovic's move stunned tennis fans and generated attention worldwide. He played Murray in seven Grand Slam finals, winning five. His two defeats to the Briton were at the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013.
Roddick, known for his sense of humor, could not resist commenting on the timing of the move. He floated the possibility that Djokovic wanted to take Nadal's place in the headlines by announcing Murray in an episode of Served with Andy Roddick.
"I get memes are fun, but there is no part of this that's a joke. I don't think it's a vanity project. Hey listen, is the attention fun? Is the buzz fun? Is it fun to know that you can create a s**tstorm in the tennis world and override any storyline?"
"Oh, oh, oh! Rafa retired this weekend? Should we dominate the headlines at the end of that week? There was zero reason why this needed to be announced. Zero."
Djokovic and Roddick had a bad relationship at the start of the former's career because the American infamously accused him of faking injuries. However, Djokovic, also known for his sense of humor, would probably enjoy Roddick joking about the timing of the move.
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