Djokovic Unsure If Murray Will Stay As Coach After Australian Open Retirement
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Novak Djokovic could not answer whether Andy Murray will remain as his coach after retiring with an injury in the Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic officially hired Murray in November until the end of the Australian Open. The move surprised tennis fans worldwide because Murray had never previously coached another player.
After not attending Djokovic's opening tournament of 2025 at the Brisbane International, the pair worked together for the first time in Melbourne. They talked animatedly during changeovers in a practice set against Carlos Alcaraz.
Although it is impossible to know everything that happens behind the scenes, Djokovic and Murray seemed to get along well. The Serbian pointedly embraced his coach after beating Alcaraz in the quarterfinal as if to represent the role he played in the win.
Unfortunately, the ten-time Australian Open champion's campaign ended heartbreakingly when he retired after the first set of his semifinal against Alexander Zverev with a torn muscle in his leg. That problem started in the match against Alcaraz, even though Djokovic won.
The 37-year-old's exit from the Australian Open raises questions about whether he and Murray will continue working together. In a press conference after his retirement against Zverev, Djokovic admitted he was not sure.
“I don't know. We both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn't talk about future steps. We are so fresh off the court. I'll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me and give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels."
"At the moment, we are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it's kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we'll have a chat."
When asked about the situation by the media, Murray gave a short and straightforward answer that relayed the same message as Djokovic about addressing it sometime after the tournament.
"Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak. We’ll do that."
Those hoping Murray will continue his partnership with Djokovic might be encouraged by his praise of the Serbian's team and how welcoming they have been to him. He also feels they deserve more respect and praise.
"I feel like they've been a great team. At times it feels a little bit embarrassing that, because of my relationship with Novak, how much people talk about that, or when there’s a good result or a good performance that it’s because I’ve helped him."
"I’m fully aware that the team that is with him has done an incredible job over many, many years to allow him to still be competing at this level at the age that he’s at. They’ve all been really, really helpful to me. They really welcomed me into the team. It’s been great to be a part of."
It would be great for tennis if Djokovic and Murray kept working together throughout the ATP season, but their collaboration at the 2025 Australian Open will always be memorable regardless.
