Novak Djokovic broke the internet with the announcement of Andy Murray’s addition to his coaching team. Some sections of the fans are unsure whether this player-coach duo will work out. However, a former seven-time Grand Slam champion showed his full faith in Murray to help his long-time rival win Grand Slams from 2025 onward.
Mats Wilander is among the group of supporters who believe in the Murray-Djokovic pairing. Wilander spoke at length about this latest development, first trying to understand Djoko’s mindset before making the decision to hire Murray.
“My first reaction was that Novak Djokovic wants to win more Grand Slam tournaments. So with Andy Murray helping him, I say that he thinks he can still win Grand Slam tournaments in 2025 and maybe even 2026,” Wilander started.
Djokovic now enjoys the advantage of being coached by a former three-time Grand Slam champion who has faced many of the players currently on the tour. Undoubtedly, Murray’s insights from playing these opponents will provide valuable benefits to the Serbian superstar.
“Andy has played against all these players that Novak will face, and Andy has seen them, he’s practiced with them… And he will have, not secrets, but he will have other opinions about these guys’ games.”
Wilander concluded by predicting that this “interesting relationship” would witness immense success since the Brit star knows how to peak as a player.
“Andy Murray is going to be an excellent coach. I think he understands how to play your best tennis when you really need to. We always talk about peaking and Andy Murray knows how to peak,” Wilander boldly claimed.
View this post on Instagram
Wilander has always been a huge admirer of the Glasgow native’s abilities as a player. Hence, the 60-year-old expressing faith in Murray’s future coaching stint doesn’t come as a surprise.
“Murray could’ve had 10 Grand Slam titles if he didn’t play in the ‘Big 3’ era”
Andy Murray had an injury-riddled career. Apart from the chronic hip issue that eventually resulted in his dip in performance, Murray also faced horrific injuries in his back, knees, wrists, and groin. Despite this long list of injuries, Murray always displayed his fighting spirit and pushed himself to compete at the highest level.
Mats Wilander is just one of many who have been inspired by Murray’s determination. Wilander even suggested that this quality might have led Murray to win “10 majors” if he hadn’t competed during the era of the ‘Big 3.’
“Andy Murray is one of the greatest fighters of all time, one of the greatest competitors of all time,” Wilander had earlier said.
Novak Djokovic has also gained a reputation for his fighting spirit in the past few years. Djokovic suffered a torn meniscus during the fourth round of the French Open 2024. But he was able to recover, reach the finals of Wimbledon, and win the Olympic gold medal within two months.
