Three times Tennis stars turned into coaches of their rivals

Novak Djokovic made headlines in the tennis community by announcing that his former rival Andy Murray would be part of his team for the Australian Open. The rivals Djokovic and Murray have faced off 36 times on tour, including in seven Grand Slam finals, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head record 25-11. After retiring following his doubles quarter-final at the Paris Olympics, Murray is now stepping into a coaching role. With various options available to him, he ultimately chose to team up with Djokovic.

The dynamic of a rival becoming a coach is quite rare in the world of tennis, making it a scenario which is to be remembered. Here are three instances when it happened.

1) Roger Federer and Ivan Ljubicic

In December 2015, Roger Federer made an important decision by hiring Ivan Ljubičić, aiming to break a three-and-a-half-year drought for his 18th Grand Slam title. With a strong 13-3 head-to-head record against Ljubičić before his retirement in 2012, Federer saw great potential in this collaboration. Ljubičić remained on board as Federer's coach until his retirement at the 2022 Laver Cup. His coaching was instrumental in enhancing Federer’s offensive game, particularly improving his backhand. This refinement in strategy was evident as Federer triumphed in five out of six matches against Rafael Nadal during their time working together.

2) Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya 

Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal faced each other eight times on tour, with Nadal decisively winning six of those encounters. Both hailing from Mallorca, Nadal first trained alongside Moya when he was just 11 years old, while Moya was already a prominent figure in the sport. During 2015 and 2016, Nadal battled with confidence issues and injuries, prompting him to invite Moya to join his uncle, Toni Nadal, on his coaching team. 

Moya proved to be an invaluable asset, staying with Nadal throughout the remainder of his illustrious career, which boasted eight Grand Slam titles. This partnership came to an end, as Nadal announced his retirement at the recent Davis Cup.

3) Alexander Zverev and David Ferrer

Alexander Zverev put an end to David Ferrer's career at the 2019 Madrid Masters, marking the final chapter in their eight intense encounters. Following a lacklustre 2019 season, Zverev made the strategic decision to hire Ferrer as a coach in 2020, bringing him on board alongside his father as the tour began to restart after the COVID-19 lockdown.

However, due to the complications posed by COVID-19 restrictions on travel, Ferrer chose not to extend his coaching agreement with Zverev in January 2021.