Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s partnership has been left in uncertainty following the Australian Open.
The Brit signed on to coach his old rival for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. After Djokovic retired in the semi-final, both men said they needed to discuss their future.
The pair have yet to announce whether they will extend their cooperation, and fans are unsure whether Murray and Djokovic should continue together.
Murray’s decision to coach Djokovic came as a shock. The news was announced just four months after the three-time Major winner ended his career at the Olympics, and it was unprecedented for two fierce rivals to join forces.
The Brit spent 10 days with Djokovic during the pre-season before joining him in Melbourne for the Australian Open. Murray was in the Serb’s courtside coaching pod throughout the tournament until Djokovic retired injured in the semis.
Afterwards, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said he only had positive feedback for Murray, though the pair had yet to discuss their future.
“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step,” Djokovic said.
There has been no word on whether Murray will continue coaching Djokovic and what their arrangement will be. And it seems even tennis fans aren’t clear on what they want.
Asked whether the retired Brit should maintain his partnership with Djokovic beyond the Aussie Open, Express Sport readers were divided. 52 per cent said no and 48 per cent voted yes, leaving the situation muddied.
It could be a while until the tennis world learns whether Murray will stay on board. Days after retiring from the tournament, Djokovic revealed that he had torn a muscle in his thigh.
The world No. 6 skipped Serbia’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark, and his participation in this month’s Qatar Open is also doubtful. Djokovic’s future with Murray may not be addressed until the Serb returns to competition.
Express Sport tennis fans also gave Emma Raducanu a brutal blow after the 22-year-old lost three matches in a row. Raducanu crashed out in the third round of the Australian Open and has since suffered back-to-back first-round exits in Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
The Brit returned from a lengthy injury layoff at the beginning of 2024 and was ranked outside of the world’s top 300. She’s now up to No. 56 in the world and sits in the British No. 2 spot behind world No. 24 Katie Boulter.
Raducanu has previously occupied the British No. 1 spot. But 82 per cent of readers don’t believe she can overtake Boulter this year to return to the top of British tennis.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk