“He never liked retirement anyway,” Novak Djokovic joked in a post on social media. The 24-time Grand Slam champion shocked the tennis world by announcing he had hired former rival Andy Murray as his coach.

Djokovic broke the news with a candid 37-second video showing clips from their legendary rivalry on the tennis court.

“We played each other since we were boys – 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport.

They called us game changers, risk takers, history makers. I thought our story might be over. It turns out it has a final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard, coach – Andy Murray,” Djokovic concluded.

Murray confirmed the news with a statement through his management team. “I will be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him prepare for the Australian Open. I’m really excited about it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change and helping him to achieve their goals.”

Djokovic is coming off a rollercoaster ride. He finished the year ranked world number 7 with a record of 37-9. His one title was arguably his most important – a gold medal for Serbia at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Djokovic battled back from a knee injury sustained at the French Open to make it all the way to the Wimbledon final. However, there were no Grand Slam titles for Djokovic this year. He also sailed to the ATP Finals but chose not to play due to a ongoing damage.

Meanwhile, 2024 served as a farewell tour for Murray. He suffered a back injury at the Queen’s Club Championships and eventually missed the chance to play at Wimbledon one last time.

While much is made of Djokovic and Murray’s rivalry, they have a strong friendship that is more important than tennis. Both men are 37 and were born a week apart in May 1987. They first played each other as juniors and met 36 times as professionals, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 advantage.

Their head-to-head series on the ATP tour includes an 11-8 lead for Djokovic in finals and 8-2 in Grand Slam tournaments. However, two of Murray’s three Majors titles came against Djokovic. Murray got the best of Djokovic in the 2011 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon finals.

Djokovic beat Murray four times in the Australian Open final alone — in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. But with a new generation of star tennis players on the rise, Djokovic could benefit from having Murray in his corner rather than on the opposite side of the game. net.

Next year’s Australian Open starts on January 12, but Djokovic plans to play one smaller tournament before the major to help prepare. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.