The news, has sparked enthusiasm among fans who are eager to see one of the game’s most respected minds take on a new role. Adding even more intrigue, rising superstar Carlos Alcaraz has also been linked to the conversation.
Andy Murray has admitted that he’d like to return to coaching in the future, having previously worked alongside his old rival, Novak Djokovic. Just months after Murray retired at the 2024 Olympic Games, he started coaching the Serbian superstar. Their partnership lasted six months, and Murray was in Djokovic’s box for his run to the Australian Open semi-finals and Miami Open final before they called it quits following the Madrid Open.
The three-time Grand Slam champion had no intention of returning to tennis in a new capacity so soon after his retirement, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with his biggest competitor. Now, Murray hopes to take on a different project when he eventually puts his coach hat back on.
I think at some stage I probably would (consider a return to coaching). My priorities are lying elsewhere just now, but I would do it again in the future,” the two-time Olympic gold medallist told The Athletic.
Murray has had some offers since hanging up his own racket, but only Djokovic could entice him to return to the sport in the early months of his retirement. When he does get back into coaching, the 38-year-old would like to help develop a young player, referencing Carlos Alcaraz’s wildly-successful coaching partnership with Juan Carlos Ferrero.
He added: “I do like the idea of helping a much younger player, a little bit like — not that I would expect it to turn out like this — the Ferrero-Alcaraz relationship. A younger player that you’re really able to help and have a really positive influence on. I would find something like that quite interesting but certainly not right now.”
A former world No. 1 and Grand Slam champion, Ferrero started coaching Alcaraz when Alcaraz was just 15 years old. During their time together, Alcaraz won six Grand Slam titles and became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history. They ended their seven-year partnership in December.
Although Murray only spent six months with Djokovic, and was “disappointed” by the results he helped his old rival achieve, the Scot also learned a lot about coaching, which will help him when he decides to go down that path again.
It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament. Amazing, just so, so good, so impressive what he’s doing. After the injury, it was certainly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us,” the former world No. 1 told the Tennis Podcast last year.
“So yeah, I was disappointed. Probably didn’t get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching is. And because it was throwing yourself in at the deep end, you find out a lot about yourself and some of your strengths, some of your weaknesses as a coach and things that maybe you need to work on. I think it’s important for a coach to bring a good energy. So it’s something that if I ever coached again, I would work on and try to do a better job of it.”
