'I work with top British tennis stars and what Andy Murray has just done surprised me'
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Towards the end of Andy Murray's tennis career, a move from playing to coaching didn't look to be in the equation. Even some of those close to the former British number one appeared to be taken aback, then, when he opted to work with 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic ahead of the 2025 season. Murray has spoken of helping get the Serbian's levels back up after Olympic gold, as Djokovic aims to add more titles before calling time on his illustrious career.
"I think it was only natural after that for there to be a bit of a let down, because he'd set himself really one target and one goal for the year and he did that," Murray said of Djokovic. “So for me and his team, it's about trying to find that motivation to keep going and pushing for more.".
With the shock of the link-up now faded, Great Britain's United Cup captain Alex Ward believes it makes a lot of sense.. Ward, previously a world top 250 player who competed in the main draw at Wimbledon, has moved into coaching himself, working with the likes of Jack Draper and Billy Harris, and recognises the qualities that he feels brought Murray and Djokovic together.
"My initial reaction was surprise, because I hadn't heard Andy mention that he wanted to coach and no rumours were flying around," Ward tells Mirror Sport at the ASICS Tennis Summit in Melbourne. "The first time anyone heard of it, even people close to Andy, was literally when it got announced in the media.
"But after the initial surprise i'm actually not that surprised in a way that Novak has turned to Andy, because I think their approach to the game is similar, they're both obsessed, they both go into every small detail they want and they want to leave no stone unturned. They're very granular, almost, with their analysis.
