The decision was bombshell news for tennis fans, experts and players. World No. 8 Andrey Rublev also joined the bandwagon and he revealed that he was left confused by the announcement as he didn’t see how it could benefit Djokovic. But Rublev also felt that their friendship could be beneficial to Djokovic during the season.

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“Novak is one of the most accomplished players in history. In that way, I wonder if Andy can contribute to his game and add new elements. On the other hand, they are good friends, which benefits their collaboration. We must remember that positive energy sometimes gives much more at this level than anything else. Novak knows tennis better than everyone, and he can feel fresh and motivated with Andy in his box. It will be interesting to see Andy’s reactions when Novak gets too emotional and throws bad words at his team,” said Rublev.

Djokovic and Murray met 36 times, with the Serbian ace leading 25-11 overall and 11-8 in finals. Ten of their face-offs have been in majors, with Djokovic leading 8-2. They are also one of the two male pairs to have contested the finals of each of the four majors (Djokovic-Nadal is the other).

Meanwhile, the Serbian leads 20-8 on hard courts and 5-1 on clay. Murray won their two matches played on grass.

The duo are almost of the same age, with Murray being a week older. They went to training camp together and as juniors, Murray won the first fixture they played against each other. In 2006, both aged 19, partnered in doubles at the Australian Open, losing in the first round.