Novak Djokovic has brought his former rival Andy Murray into his coaching team as he aims to secure the Indian Wells title for the first time in nearly a decade.
Murray’s management team announced that the former athlete went to California to extend his coaching partnership with Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
From rivals to partners
Novak Djokovic brought Murray on board his team before this year’s Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals but was forced to retire against Alexander Zverev due to an injury.
Murray was not present in Djokovic’s only subsequent match, which the Serbian lost to Italian Mattero Berrettini in Doha last month. Now, Djokovic is set to compete in both Indian Wells and Miami – the so-called “Sunshine Double”— for the first time since 2019.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray retired last year after the Paris Olympics, but he shocked the tennis world when he revealed that he would be coaching Djokovic in Australia.
About their partnership, Djokovic said: “It’s indefinite in terms of how long we are going to work together but we agreed we are going to work most likely in the States and then some clay-court tournaments and see how it goes after.”
Djokovic’s current achievements
The athlete now holds the joint record for most titles at both Masters Series events, with five at Indian Wells and six at Miami, alongside Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. However, he has not claimed either title since 2016.
The Indian Wells begins this week and will run from March 4 to March 17. The Miami Open will begin on March 19. Both events are part of the ATP and WTA tour schedules and are often referred to as the “Sunshine Double”. These events are crucial for players seeking to build momentum ahead of the European clay-court season.