When Novak Djokovic shocked the tennis world by announcing that his new coach would be former rival Andy Murray, speculation swirled about whether the partnership could help the Serbian face the twin threats of tennis’ newest stars Janic Sinnar and Carlos Alcaraz. World No.8 Andrey Rublev has waded into the debate and expressed his doubts about whether the Brit can bring to the table what Djokovic doesn’t already know.
“Novak is one of the best players in history, so I don’t know if Murray will be able to contribute,” Rublev said on the Tennis Weekly podcast.
“But the positive energy that comes from their friendship, sometimes at this level, can be more beneficial than anything else,” added the world No.8. May feel and look, for example, fresher or more motivated.
Rublev also said that the dynamic shared by Djokovic and Murray could also come under strain as the Serbian becomes more vocal during the match. How Murray deals with his former teammate ‘tough talk’ could also become a factor at play as the season progresses.
“It will be interesting because sometimes, Nole is very emotional on the court and speaks harshly to his team, so I’m curious to see how Murray reacts in those situations,” Rublev said.
Murray’s former coach Jamie Delgado has spoken in the past about how knowing Djokovic’s game and the psychological side of playing against him can be helpful for their partnership.
Andy is very sharp with the data side of things and the strategy,” said the 47-year-old. “You have to remember that Andy has played against Novak many times, so he will know Novak and express what it is difficult for him to play against, remind him of those things. Which his opponents will feel when playing against him.”