'I've seen...' Andy Murray's former coach explains why Andy Murray partnered with Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray’s recent choice to take on the role of coach for Novak Djokovic has certainly made waves in the tennis community. Remarkably, this comes just four months after Murray's retirement, marking a significant transition into mentorship with one of his key competitors. 

Mark Petchey, a former coach of Murray, expressed his surprise at this development but has also addressed some of the misconceptions surrounding the partnership.

Djokovic has been without a coach since his separation from Goran Ivanisevic in March, which marked the end of their five-year partnership. During the clay season, he utilized temporary mentors but primarily travelled with his hitting partner, Carlos Gomez.

At the end of November, the 24-time Grand Slam champion decided to level up his training by inviting former rival Andy Murray to join his coaching team for the off-season and the lead-up to the Australian Open. 

This collaboration is notable, as both players have competed against each other at the highest levels of the sport, vying for Major titles and the No. 1 ranking.

For the first time, Djokovic and Murray will partner up, marking an exciting development in their careers. Djokovic’s decision to team up with Murray has generated buzz with some wondering if it’s a lame choice as he approaches retirement.

Petchey's take on Murray being Novak's coach

However, Petchey, who previously coached Murray, has dismissed the speculation about retirement. He believes that Murray’s partnership with Djokovic indicates his ambition to achieve what no other athlete has achieved in tennis.

“Knowing Andy as well as I do, there’s no question that he will already be going through Novak's matches from this year with a fine tooth comb, the battles that he's had with Carlos and Jannik and what's worked but what hasn't worked,” Petchey told.

“I’ve said it a few times that Andy would go into coaching but I didn't think in my wildest dreams it would be quite as quickly as this and with Novak,” he added.

“I've seen people say this is Novak at the end of his career kind of winding down potentially by hiring a mate. That’s absolute . Andy is not wired that way. He wouldn't let me beat him in a video game." he added.

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