Djokovic had been without a full-time coach since March, when he parted ways with Goran Ivanisevic. The world No. 7 had a brief stint with Nenad Zimonjic but has mostly travelled without a coach, instead working with hitting partner Carlos Gomez Herrera.
That changed at the end of November when the 24-time Grand Slam champion made a huge announcement, revealing that Murray would be his new coach in a social media post.
It was an unprecedented move – both men are long-time rivals and contemporaries. They’ve known each other since their junior days and battled for Major titles and the No. 1 ranking.
McEnroe, who has also coached a few players since retiring from professional tennis, has now weighed in on the partnership, explaining why he believes Murray chose the coaching path so soon after his playing career.
“Andy’s searching. And listen, I have six kids. He’s got four kids. So he’s like, ‘I need a break’,” the seven-time Major winner laughed, speaking on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast.
The 65-year-old also thought that Murray would still be out on the tour as an active player if his body didn’t limit him. “He sort of got pushed into retirement, right? In a way, unfortunately, because his body wouldn’t hold up,” McEnroe added.
“It catches up to you and it’s hard. It’s really hard when you’re still feeling pretty young and desperately wanting to play. So I’m happy [for him].”
However, McEnroe isn’t convinced that their partnership will last too long. He continued: “I mean, I’m sure this is going to be extremely short-lived but for tennis, the interest that it brings to it, hopefully around the world.
“I’m hopeful that in a way, I hope Djokovic wins it because it would give Murray a little hit. He needs some more positive vibes. And I’m kidding a little bit about him needing to be away from his kids! He’ll sleep a lot more, let’s put it that way, than he would’ve otherwise.”
McEnroe has already backed Murray to be a successful mentor, claiming he would give his all to Djokovic. “This guy is a tennis geek, and he loves it,” he explained.
“And I’m sure he’ll leave no stone unturned for Novak, just the way he did for himself. This guy gave 120 per cent of what he could give for it. Murray gave it absolutely everything he had.”
But Djokovic might not need too much from Murray, as the American thinks his presence alone will be enough to motivate the world No. 7. “I think Murray is going to bring something to the table, just his mere presence more than anything else,” he said.
“He can totally relate to everything that’s been going on. Obviously Novak has a lot of respect for him, so he’s going to be able to push him when he needs to.”
Djokovic will start his season at the Brisbane International, which begins on December 29. He has also entered the doubles draw with Nick Kyrgios. But Murray isn’t set to travel Down Under until the Australian Open kicks off in mid-January.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk