March 26 (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic mentioned that collaborating with coach Andy Murray still felt somewhat surreal, yet it provided him the chance to establish a personal bond with the Scot following their extensive rivalry on the court.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, selected fellow ex-world number one Murray before this year’s Australian Open and stated at the Qatar Open that they would keep collaborating for an unspecified duration.
The pair came together again at hardcourt events in the U.S., and following their quarter-final achievement at the Miami Open on Tuesday, Djokovic expressed his appreciation for having Murray with him.
“We performed on the same stage, so to speak, and spent a long time touring together, knowing each other for 20-25 years since our early days,” Djokovic told Sky Sports.
“However, it’s clear that when you’re competitors, you don’t engage as often, and while waiting for the matches to resume after the rain today, we had a fascinating conversation.”
I’ve always held great admiration for Andy as a player, but now I respect him even more as an individual. He’s a really great person, and I truly appreciate that he cares about my success on the court.
Djokovic achieved victory in 25 out of his 36 encounters with Murray and mentioned he was still adjusting to having the Briton beside him.
“It’s still hard to believe that one of my main competitors is my coach, and he’s celebrating with fist bumps and jumping in the box,” Djokovic stated.
At times, I give myself a pinch and wonder, ‘is this really happening? “Is this a dream?” yet it’s wonderful.
“We aim to maximize this connection between player and coach while also enjoying some meaningful time together.” Miami has been enjoyable. We arrived early, nearly a week prior to the tournament’s beginning.
“We played a bit of golf, shared some meals together, and we’re having a great time.”
