Judy Murray has revealed how her son, Andy, came to coach 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic during the latter portion of 2024.
To the surprise of many, Djokovic hired Murray in November 2024 following the British star’s retirement from tennis at the 2024 Olympic Games.
The pair worked together for six months, before parting ways in May this year.
Now, Judy Murray – Andy’s mother and a prominent tennis coach – has revealed how her son’s partnership with Djokovic came about.
Judy Murray says Andy Murray was ‘intrigued by the challenge’ of coaching Novak Djokovic
Speaking on ‘The Sit-Down’ podcast, Judy spoke of the initial interaction between Andy and Novak, before suggesting her son had made an exception by coaching the Serbian star.
“He told me that Novak had called him and asked him if he would help him,” Judy said.
“And you know, they’ve known each other since they were 11 years old.
“I don’t think he would have done that for anybody else. He’d just retired. He wasn’t looking to go back on the road and he wasn’t looking to go into coaching either.
“But obviously he knows Novak really well as a person and as a player and he knows what it’s about, being at the top of the game. He knows what it all entails on and off the court.
“So I think he was quite intrigued by the challenge of it.”
Novak Djokovic’s record under Andy Murray
Novak Djokovic played seven ATP Tour events under the tutelage of Andy Murray.
Unfortunately for both parties, Djokovic went through one of the more unsuccessful periods of his career.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion recorded four first-round exits during Murray’s tenure, while reaching just one final: at the Miami Open.
Djokovic failed to win an ATP Tour event during their time together, and the Serbian great won his 100th ATP Tour title at the tournament following Murray’s departure – the Geneva Open.
However, Djokovic did produce some excellent performances on the biggest stages during Murray’s period of oversight. Most notably, the Serb defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Unfortunately for Djokovic, he was hampered by injury and lost in the semi-finals to Alexander Zverev.
| Tournament | Result |
| Brisbane Open | Quarter-finals |
| Australian Open | Semi-finals |
| Qatar Open | Round of 32 (first match) |
| Indian Wells | Round of 64 (first match) |
| Miami Open | Final |
| Monte-Carlo | Round of 32 (first match) |
| Madrid Open | Round of 64 (first match) |
Most recently, Djokovic lost in the US Open semi-finals to Carlos Alcaraz, and has been told he is now in a ‘strange position.’
