Novak Djokovic Reveals Reason Behind Coach Murray's Brisbane Absence
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Novak Djokovic is competing in his first tournament of the 2025 season, but his new coach, Andy Murray, is not present.
The 37-year-old Serbian player chose the Brisbane International as his first tournament of the new season. He competed at the event in 2009 but lost already in the first round.
This year, he started well at the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane, beating Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3, to mark his first singles victory of the 2025 season. He won a doubles match with Nick Kyrgios the day before.
However, at the tournament, Djokovic is without his new coach, Andy Murray, present in his box. The two announced ahead of the 2025 season that they would be working together at least until the end of the Australian Open.
Obviously, the Grand Slam in Melbourne is the main goal for the duo, and already before the start of the season, there were reports about Murray's possible absence from the Brisbane International.
Once Djokovic arrived in Australia alone, it was confirmed that he would be alone at the Brisbane International, and after his first singles win, the Serbian player also confirmed the reason for Murray's absence.
While tennis fans and pundits might have looked for some very deep reason, it's actually quite simple. Murray is currently enjoying a ski trip with his family, which is why he couldn't make it to Brisbane.
"He’s actually skiing at the moment. He’s on a family skiing trip. Sending my love to all the Murray family. I hope he doesn’t get injured skiing before he comes to Melbourne."
"We spoke before the match. I’m excited to have him in my team. For 20+ years he’s been across the net. For the first time ever he’s on the same side of the court. Should be fun in Melbourne."
Even without Murray, Djokovic did well in his first match, and his coach certainly watched his match via stream. Thanks to the technologies available today, even long-distance communication between a coach and a player doesn't have to be challenging.
During his post-match press conference, Djokovic talked more about his partnership with Murray and what the three-time Grand Slam champion brings to his team.
"So to have a legend of the game, someone that is known to be as an intelligent tennis player as there is out there, it's a great honor, great pleasure for me. I love talking to him about the nuances, the details, how I can improve my game, how I can gain an inch, court positioning more comparing to my opponent, and every bit of percentage counts at the highest level."
"So what I have been getting from him already is really positive. But we haven't spent too many days on the court together, so I look forward to having him in Melbourne."
Djokovic's second-round opponent at the 2025 Brisbane International will be someone he knows very well. Gael Monfils was his opponent 19 times, and the Serbian player won 19 times. He will be hoping to add another win in Australia.
