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Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. (Image: Getty.)
Andy Murray turned down other top male and female stars before agreeing to coach Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick has claimed.
And the former US Open champion reckoned the working relationship between the “big tennis nerds” will work because it will not be an “overwhelming commitment” for the Scot.
The two 37-year-olds shocked the tennis world by announcing they will team up for the Australian Open.
The Serbian superstar failed to win a Grand Slam singles title this year and still needs one more to break the record of 24 he shares with Margaret Court. Djokovic has won 10 Australian Open titles – including beating Murray four times in the final.
The Scot only retired from tennis at the Paris Olympics.
But Roddick said: “Why would you not do this? If you can convince Murray to say yes on a short timeline. And by the way, I’ve also heard, it’s not my business to tell, top players, male, female. Murray has said no to many over these last four months.
“The other people that were asking were on the top of the pile too, right? Like they were high, high, high, high, high ranks, men and women, from what I’ve heard.”
Andy Roddick has given his verdict on the new coaching link-up. (Image: Getty)
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The American explained on his podcast Served with Andy Roddick that coaching Djokovic is a better fit now than British No.1 Jack Draper.
Roddick explained: “If you are Murray, you are looking at this: ‘Ok, it is December. We will put in a training block. That’s it’.
“Listen, if this works and the training block works and we feel good in Australia and we feel like we’re playing well, then let’s run it back a couple of weeks before the French Open. Let’s run it back. Let’s get on grass and let’s work through that. This is not a 20-week or 25-week commitment. This isn’t an overwhelming commitment to Murray.”
The former world No.1 added: “There’s no chance that if he’s working with a player that’s not Novak, who’s, I don’t know, let’s call it a player who’s No.8 in the world, who’s not Novak, and all of a sudden you make progress and that person gets to No.5 in the world, and you almost win a Slam or something like that, and then you’re over your weeks committed, midway through the season on a pro-rated basis.
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“You’re going to feel s***** for not committing fully because the what if question will not die. I don’t think you have that ‘what if?’ question as much with someone who’s already sitting as the greatest ever.
“It’s not Jack Draper right now. And maybe it will be someday. If Murray gets his teeth into a project like a Draper, all of a sudden, his life exists around the globe again. Because he is not the personality that will lay off if he feels like progress is being made. Novak doesn’t need a babysitter. He doesn’t need someone to teach him professionalism.
“He doesn’t need someone to teach him how to hit a forehand or a backhand. He needs a strategist, an IQ mind that he can bounce ideas off of and work on very specific things for very specific matchups. He needs someone who understands if he gets through a five-setter in the round of 16 of Australia. The guy’s a robotic cyborg genius. Like there’s no fix.
But Djokovic will seek help on how to beat Jannik Sinner after the world No.1 beat him in the Australian Open semi-finals in January – and has now won four of their last five matches.
“The other undersold part of this story that I haven’t heard this reaction yet is: ‘Okay, so Novak’s Tyson forever, right?” Roddick added. “Like he walks in, can blow you off the court, can play defense, can do all of these things, right? Is he still the best ball striker on earth?
“We don’t know. I don’t know. Sinner’s probably taking that. Like if Sinner’s younger, can create probably more speed at this point. Doesn’t mean that he’s overall a better player, but just what did Murray spend the last five years of his career doing? Problem solving for what you have lost.
“That struggle that Murray went through is of value to Novak at this age. I think it’s gonna be great for both of them because they’re both like, and I say this in the nicest way possible, students of the game, big tennis nerds, right? I think Murray might have the highest tennis IQ that I’ve seen and been around.”
