Andy Murray Admits He’s Still Open to Coaching Return Despite His Split with Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic parted ways after back-to-back opening match losses in the clay-court season.

Andy Murray Admits He’s Still Open to Coaching Return Despite His Split with Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Tie Break Ten)

Andy Murray has been away from tennis since parting ways with Novak Djokovic after the Madrid Open. The 38-year-old has taken to other personal ventures but recently appeared at the Queen’s Club Championship. During an interview, he revealed that he’s still open to a return to coaching at some stage.

The British star retired from tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was seeking to enjoy his retirement with his family. But in November, he joined long-time rival Djokovic’s coaching team. They first partnered at the Australian Open, where the Serbian reached the semi-finals before retiring due to injury against Alexander Zverev.

However, after that, their collaboration didn’t enjoy much success, except for Djokovic reaching the Miami Open final before losing to Jakub Mensik in straight sets. Things got worse during the clay season as the 24-time Grand Slam champion lost back-to-back opening-round matches in Monte Carlo and Madrid.

That led to them parting ways on a mutual agreement. After that, Djokovic achieved instant success, winning his 100th career title at the Geneva Open. He then went on to reach the semifinals of the French Open before losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

In an interview with BBC Sports, Murray revealed that he’s open to a return to coaching after splitting with Djokovic. He added that the six months with Djokovic was a positive experience and that he learnt a lot working with one greatest players in the sport:

I would do it again at some stage. I don’t think that will happen immediately. I wasn’t planning on going into coaching as soon as I finished playing but it was a pretty unique opportunity. It was a chance to learn from one of the best athletes of all time. You also learn a lot about how to work with a team.

Djokovic got back into the top 5 of the ATP rankings after his semi-final run at the French Open. The 38-year-old left Roland Garros without his 25th Grand Slam and hinted at retirement after the loss to Sinner. He will hope to bounce back at the Wimbledon Championship, which kicks off on June 30.

Andy Murray says tennis is in a great place because of ‘these players’

The Roland Garros final will be remembered as one of the all-time great classic matches. Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down and saved three championship points to beat Jannik Sinner after five hours and 29 minutes, the longest French Open final in history. Their rivalry has become the biggest in the men’s circuit.

Andy Murray
Andy Murray (Image via X/Wimbledon)

Andy Murray was asked about their clash during the aforementioned interview and he confirmed that the sport is in a great place. He added that Sinner and Alcaraz compliment each other:

For me, particularly Alcaraz has an exciting brand of tennis to watch, and they complement each other well. They’ve already had some brilliant matches and from what I’ve been told, it was one of the best finals for a long time. Moving forward, men’s tennis is in a great place. People always worry at the end of a generation of players what’s going to happen with the sport next, but generally sports continue to evolve and, in most cases, improve.

Alcaraz and Sinner will have a little time away from the court but will likely begin their grass-court season at Queen’s Club Championships and Halle Open, respectively. Sinner won the Halle Open last year after beating Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, he will be hoping to defend the title ahead of the Wimbledon Championship.

Also Read: Emma Raducanu’s Coach Not Worried About Carlos Alcaraz Dropping Sets in Majors As He Makes Novak Djokovic Comparison