Murray retired from tennis earlier this year, having struggled with a number of injuries in recent seasons.

The Brit won three Grand Slam titles during his time on the ATP Tour, at the US Open in 2012, and Wimbledon, in 2013 and 2016.

He did, however, struggle against Djokovic at times, trailing the head-to-head with the Serb 25-11, losing to him in five separate Major finals.

The pair’s rivalry is now a thing of the past, and one tennis legend has said why he thinks Djokovic has brought Murray into his coaching team.

Andy Roddick believes Novak Djokovic hired Andy Murray because of his ‘tennis IQ’

Speaking on his podcast following the recent announcement, former US Open champion Andy Roddick gave his thoughts on why Djokovic chose to bring Murray in to his coaching team.

“Novak [Djokovic] can walk in, blow you off the court, play defense, do all of these things, is he still the best ball striker on earth?” he said.

“I don’t know, [Jannik] Sinner has probably taken that, Sinner’s younger, and can probably create more speed at this point, doesn’t mean he’s overall a better player but what did Murray spend the last four years of his career doing?

“Problem-solving for what you’ve lost, right?

“That struggle that Murray went through is a value to Novak at this age.

“Me saying that Novak at 38 isn’t as good as Novak at 32 shouldn’t be controversial.”

Roddick was full of praise for the Brit’s tennis IQ, which he believes will be a huge asset to Djokovic in 2025.

“I think Murray might have the highest tennis IQ that I’ve seen and been around,” he said.

“He competed with these kinds of superheroes without the biggest shot on the court, without being the fastest one of them.

“He’s a master of nuance, he’s a master of scouting reports, he knows everything backward, he’s one of the most detail-orientated guys ever.

“You’re not going to get in Novak’s ear by giving him lazy vagueries right, you need some thought behind it.

“Obviously, Novak knows that he wants those conversations, he feels like he needs something a little bit different at this moment in time.”

Is Novak Djokovic now favorite to win the 2025 Australian Open?

With news of the partnership, many fans are now eagerly anticipating next year’s Australian Open, as they look to see what Djokovic and Murray can achieve together.

The Serb is the most successful athlete ever to play at the event, having won ten singles titles so far in his career, but Djokovic was beaten by Sinner in the semi-finals earlier this year.

The Italian went on to assert his dominance in 2025, as Sinner won the US Open, the ATP Finals, and helped his nation to a second consecutive Davis Cup title.

It’s tough to say who has the edge ahead of next year’s tournament, but there are plenty of other ATP stars who would love to get in on the action.

Historically, it seems hard to argue against the 37-year-old picking up another title down under, but looking at how the younger stars performed in 2024, it could be a tough ask.

Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz shared the four Major titles this year, and will both be looking to get up and running as soon as possible in the new year.

Alternatively, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev were all losing finalists at Grand Slams this season and will want to finally lift a trophy this time around.

It’s perhaps too close to call, but with Murray on board, many fans will be giving Djokovic the nod, as we head to Melbourne.

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