Andy Murray will meet Novak Djokovic on Friday afternoon to consider the future of their testing partnership following the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s retirement from the Australian Open semi-finals.
Murray and Djokovic initially agreed to work together until the end of the Australian Open, with Bertone coaching his former rival. Asked if he would like to continue their partnership, Murray said: “Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we’ll talk. We’ll do it.
Djokovic was forced to retire from his Australian Open semi-final match against second seed Alexander Zverev after trailing 7-6(5) with a left thigh tear. After a grueling 80 minutes of play, Zverev took the first set on a tiebreak after Djokovic missed an easy forehand volley on set point.
As the set drew to a close, Djokovic crossed the net to clinch the match, much to the surprise and disappointment of many fans at Rod Laver Arena. After the defeat, Djokovic said he would have positive feedback for Murray.
“I will definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me,” said the 10-time Australian Open champion. “Give him my feedback, which is definitely positive, and see how he feels and we take the next step.”
Djokovic reached the semi-finals with an incredible quarter-final performance against Carlos Alcaraz, pulling off a remarkable comeback from a set down despite struggling with a thigh injury. He didn’t train in the two days after his win, though, returning to the court around noon on Friday to warm up for his semifinal.
“It was an unfortunate way to finish,” Murray said. “The match he played against Alcaraz was some incredible tennis, he said. It was amazing to watch from the sidelines, it was an amazing performance. I think he got better and better as the tournament progressed It was obviously a really unfortunate way to end.
“It’s difficult. When you get to this stage of the tournament, you feel like you’re getting very close to something special, and it’s unfortunate if the body isn’t responding the way you’d like.
“There’s always hope with Novak because of how big of a player he is and has gotten out of tough situations before. It just wasn’t going to happen this time.
After spending about eight days together during the offseason, the Australian Open marked the pair’s first time together on site at a tournament. Murray said he was “a little embarrassed” by the attention his partnership had received, but that he had a great experience working with Djokovic and his team.
“I feel like they’ve been a great team,” said Murray, who lost four Melbourne finals to Djokovic during his playing career. “Sometimes it feels a bit embarrassing because of my relationship with Novak, how much people talk about him or when there’s a good result or a good performance, I’ve helped him because of that. .
“I am fully aware that the team he has with him has done an incredible job over the years to allow him to still compete at the level he is at,” Murray added. ” “They’ve all been really, really helpful to me. They’ve really welcomed me into the team. It’s been great to be a part of. I’ve gotten to witness some amazing tennis, and one of the best matches I’ve ever had was Alcaraz. Seen directly against
“It’s been a steep learning curve for me as well,” he added. “Obviously there are a lot of things that as a player, you know things are different when you’re coaching, you need to help in terms of communication around the team.
“You’re not just thinking about yourself when you’re a player. I’ve definitely learned a lot but I still have a lot to learn, that’s for sure.
