Novak Djokovic says his decision to appoint former rival Andy Murray as his coach was “a surprise for everyone” but “exciting for tennis”.
British three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, who retired from tennis in August, will work with Djokovic in the off-season and in the run-up to the Australian Open.
Record 24-time men's major winner Djokovic admitted to Sky Sports that his call caught Murray “a little bit off guard”.
But the 37-year-old Serbian said the two “developed a connection very quickly” and it took Murray just days to agree to the role, less than four months after he ended his career at the Paris Olympics.
Djokovic, who shares the most major singles titles by a female player with Margaret Court, said: “It took me about six months to figure out what I needed at this stage of my career.”
“I realized that the perfect coach would be someone who had the same experiences as me, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner and world number one.”
“We were talking about Andy Murray and I said I would call him and see how it goes.
“I couldn't be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise for everyone, including me, but it is exciting for tennis.”
