Andy Roddick and well-known journalist Jon Wertheim revealed they had heard rumors that other ATP and WTA players asked Andy Murray to be their coach before Novak Djokovic appointed him.
Djokovic had been without a coach since Goran Ivanisevic left his team in March of this year. The pair won ten Grand Slams and two ATP Finals titles during almost five years together.
After he took a few months off, Elena Rybakina announced before the WTA Finals that she and Ivanisevic would begin working together during the off-season, sparking excitement among tennis fans worldwide.
Djokovic played without a permanent coach this season after Ivanisevic's departure. He failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017 and only managed a record-low one title.
However, the sole title was one of the most significant of Djokovic's career. The Serbian secured the Olympic gold medal that had eluded him for many years, triumphing in the gold medal match against Carlos Alcaraz.
That success means Djokovic has achieved every significant feat in tennis. Some questioned whether the 37-year-old would be able to stay motivated, especially after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won all the Grand Slams in 2024.
Murray's appointment as his coach should answer those questions. Djokovic's move shows he is still looking for ways to improve and have the right people around him for the most significant matches.
Roddick mentioned something on his podcast Served With Andy Roddick that might demonstrate how big a draw working with Djokovic is. Although he did not confirm it for sure, the American said he had heard that other players tried to appoint Murray as their coach.
"I've heard that top players, male and female, Andy Murray has said no to many over these last four months."
Wertheim added further details. He understands other players attempted to work with Murray, and the Briton's family told him he would regret not taking the opportunity to join Djokovic's team.
"I'll add a little on that, but apparently, I've heard the same thing. This is not the first player that has reached out to Murray, and Murray’s family unit basically said, 'You are going to regret it if you don't do this.'"
"It's also in Australia right, this isn't like, hey we'll do this at Wimbledon, 'I'm going to be outside anyway,' I mean this is flying across oceans and timezones and I was told that people very close to Andy Murray have simply said, 'We know you too well, we know you are going to regret it if you say no to this. Go ahead and see how it goes.'"
Roddick and Wertheim's words cannot be confirmed as true for sure, but Wertheim is an experienced journalist who is usually accurate when providing information. If true, Murray's acceptance of Djokovic's offer shows how much the opportunity means to him.
Wertheim is probably relieved to continue appearing on Roddick's podcast regularly after the Tennis Channel suspended him for making an unsavory remark about Barbora Krejcikova's appearance.
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