Djokovic Set To Work With Verdasco At 2025 Qatar Open In Murray's Absence
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Novak Djokovic's coach, Andy Murray, is not with him for the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha. Instead, the Serbian has been supported by Fernando Verdasco, and the pair also revealed an exciting surprise for fans.
Although Djokovic's appointment of Murray caused understandable excitement among fans worldwide, the Briton never planned to accompany his former rival to every tournament. An ATP 500 event in the Middle East is not the top priority.
Murray's only tournament with Djokovic so far was the 2025 Australian Open, helping the 37-year-old reach the semifinal before he had to retire with an injury. He is expected to work with him until Wimbledon for the most significant events.
That means Djokovic needs to adapt for ATP 500 tournaments like in Doha. He has done that by working alongside his friend Fernando Verdasco, who enjoyed a long and successful career on the ATP Tour.
Verdasco was a consistent performer for several years, winning 559 matches, contesting over 1,000 contests, reaching an Australian Open semifinal, and securing seven ATP titles from 23 finals.
Djokovic played Verdasco 15 times, winning 11 of their matches. Their rivalry on the court did not prevent them from enjoying a friendship off it, which the Spaniard's willingness to help Djokovic proves.
The move makes sense for all parties because Verdasco lives in Doha. Therefore, the former world No. 7 is not going out of his way to support Djokovic at a tournament that is so close to his home.
There is no indication that Verdasco will become a regular fixture in Djokovic's team. The partnership between them is just for one tournament before the Serbian gets ready for the 2025 Indian Wells Open, which starts in March.
Verdasco working regularly with Djojokovic throughout the season might have created a challenging dynamic in the team if it had happened because Murray had some heated moments in matches against the 2009 Australian Open semifinalist during their careers.
However, Djokovic collaborating with Verdasco and being supported by him during his singles matches at the Qatar Open is not the only exciting news. The pair will also play doubles together at the tournament.
In a video on social media, Verdasco announced that playing doubles with Djokovic would be his final professional appearance before retiring. The Spaniard has not played an ATP match in almost two years, but had not officially announced his retirement.
Although Verdasco's final appearance coming so long after his previous match means there is less attention on his retirement than there otherwise would have been, the 41-year-old's career deserves to be celebrated.
Verdasco, whose most significant title was on home soil at the 2010 Barcelona Open, an ATP 500 tournament, played at a consistently high level for many years. He could not reach the very top; his prime coincided with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic dominating the sport.
Djokovic graciously accepted playing doubles with Verdasco, which the Spaniard acknowledged in his social media post about it. Hopefully, his last ATP appearance will end on a high.
