Novak Djokovic is set to play the Brisbane International for the first time in 16 years – a massive change that he hopes will end his grand slam drought. Djokovic endured a frustrating year in 2024, winning a gold medal at the Olympics but failing to capture a single ATP title or grand slam.

It marked the first year since 2017 (when he was injured) in which he failed to win a major, but Djokovic is hoping to bounce back at the Australian Open in January. The 24-time grand slam champion can overtake Margaret Court for most majors in history with a 25th, and in 2025 he’s doing things a little differently.

While Djokovic normally plays Kooyong or exhibition matches to prepare for the Melbourne Park grand slam, he’ll be in action at the Brisbane International at the end of December. It will mark the first time since 2009 that the Serbian star plays the ATP event, and he’ll join a star-studded line-up.

Nick Kyrgios will make his return in Brisbane alongside defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, as well as Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe, Matteo Berrettini, Sebastian Korda, Gael Monfils, Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson. The ATP event runs from December 29 until January 5, with the Australian Open to begin on January 12.

Andy Murray to coach Novak Djokovic before Australian Open

As well as switching up his preparation for the Australian Open, Djokovic has also made a major coaching change. After parting ways with Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year, Djokovic will now use retired legend Andy Murray on his coaching staff.

Murray, who retired after the Olympics in Paris, will join the 24-time grand slam champion in the off-season and coach him through to the opening grand slam event of 2025. “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open,” Murray said. “I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.”

Djokovic said: “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net, as my coach. Looking forward to start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy, with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on the Australian soil.”

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Djokovic, who lost to Murray in the 2012 US Open final and again at Wimbledon the following year, admitted it was something even he could not have envisaged. “I was going through a process of thinking about next season in the last couple of months,” Djokovic said last month. “I was trying to figure out what I need at this stage of my career, because I stopped with my (former) coach Goran Ivanisevic, who I was very successful with and worked for many years, in March.

“So I took about six months to really think about if I need a coach and, if yes, who that’s going to be and the profile of the coach. We were going through names and I realised that the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone who has been through the experiences I am going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner, a former (World) No.1

“I was thinking about different people and a discussion about Andy Murray appeared on the table with me and my team. We were like, ‘okay, I’m going to give him a call and see how it goes’. It caught him a little off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it. We connected really fast and he accepted it after a few days. I can’t be more excited about it.”

with AAP