Andy Murray’s former coach has revealed that the Brit had a bold, eight-word message for Novak Djokovic long before they linked up.
Just four months after retiring, Murray has signed up to become the 24-time Major winner’s new coach for the off-season and the Australian Open.
Brad Gilbert has now had his say on their new partnership, explaining just how intense their rivalry was before Murray decided to get in Djokovic’s corner.
Gilbert, who has previously worked with the likes of Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff, joined Murray’s team all the way back in 2006. When they first teamed up, the American coach asked his protege which players gave him trouble, pulling from a long list.
But the two-time Olympic champion was only worried about one man – Djokovic. “I remember him saying, ‘None of those guys matter, it’s only Novak’,” Gilbert told the ATP.
Murray knew more than anyone else just how difficult of an opponent Djokovic would prove to be. The pair have known each other since they were children.
Born just a week apart, the champions have been competing since their junior days and went on to play on the biggest stages with Major titles and the world No. 1 ranking at stake. But the 37-year-old will now have to put all of that aside to mentor Djokovic.
After turning to his own past coaches to learn how to beat Djokovic, the Brit will start teaching his old rival how to beat the rest of the field. And Gilbert thinks it’s a clever move from both men.
He continued: “I kind of sensed that Novak was going to do something. You didn’t know what he was going to do, but you kind of sensed that he probably needed something, and something to motivate him.
“And obviously he goes way back with Andy. Andy knows a lot about Novak, knows a lot about the players who Novak is going to be chasing.
“But I think more than anything, where Novak is, you’ve got these two huge, young guys now [Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz] who have just really elevated and I think Novak probably feels like he needs a little bit and I think most importantly, needs that motivation.
Gilbert was also a top player before becoming a coach. And he had some advice for his old charge as Murray follows the same path. “You’re the coach, looking through the lens of the player who you’re coaching,” the former No. 4 said.
“I was like, ‘I would do X, Y and Z, but Andre plays nothing like me, so I can’t think about what I would do. I have to think about what Andre needed to do’.”
And the American, who currently isn’t coaching anyone, is also looking forward to seeing the Murray-Djokovic partnership play out. “The first thing I’ll want to do when I’m in Australia is just go watch Murray and Novak practise,” he said.
