Andy Murray is set to make his return to tennis just months after retiring – but in a surprising new role.
The three-time Grand Slam champion will coach his long-time former rival Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in January.
It will be Murray’s first coaching role and he will be aiming to help Djokovic win a record-extending 11th Australian Open title.
Djokovic beat Murray in four finals in Melbourne, and the 37-year-olds enjoyed countless memorable battles during their time on court.
Djokovic confirmed the news of their shock match-up on social media with a video captioned: “He never liked retirement anyway.”
In the clip, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said: “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. I thought our story may be over, – turns out it has one final chapter.
“It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner.”
Meanwhile, Murray said: “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open.
“I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.”
The pair will begin working together during the off-season as Djokovic prepares for the first Grand Slam of 2025.
Next year’s Australian Open in Melbourne gets underway on January 12 and runs for two weeks.
Djokovic is a 10-time winner of the event, most recently in 2023. Of those triumphs, four saw him beat Murray in the final at Rod Laver Arena.
The British tennis icon hung up his racquet earlier this year after an illustrious career.
His final match came alongside Dan Evans in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.
As for Djokovic, he parted ways with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic in 2024.
He failed to win one of the four major events for the first time since 2017.
However, he did win his first Olympic gold medal in the men’s singles, adding it to the bronze he claimed in Beijing 16 years ago.
