Holly HY / 04 December 2024 / Categories: People

Andy Murray

No braver sports person for me

Andy Murray, what’s not to like except perhaps his choice of less than ethical kit provider trophy hunting sponsor, Baltimore based Under Armour, hey maybe the clothes are really good. He did say he’d happily pay for the custom shoes they created for him.

When Andy Murray announced this year the Paris Olympics would be his last hoorah I am sure I wasn’t the only one not quite ready to say farewell to the best British tennis player since Fred Perry, who can we really compare as he emigrated to the US. I don’t know if there is any one else I have missed. It certainly feels like there hasn’t been anyone quite like Andy.

Then on 23rd November, Novak Djokovic announced that his long time rival on court, they have met 36 times, of which Novak came out on top on 25 of those occasions, would be joining his coaching team for the 2025 Australian open.

He parted company with previous coach Goran Ivanesovich the spring of this year.

Andy has not spoken publicly about the appointment except a couple of tweets while Novak was taking some time out at the Qatar Grand Prix.

There has been a lot of media attention around the appointment and I was excited to hear about it too. The idea of these two titans of tennis working together to achieve more records and more gripping tennis is big news for fans.

Like any big announcements there has been commentary around the why’s and some people going as far as to suggest Djokovic wanted Andy and his limited coaching experience for something.

Some have speculated Andy brings an understanding of what it takes to win at the end of a glittering career when maybe the spectators are less expectant of a win, and those wins take more energy and time on court to secure.

I think it’s Andy’s fearlessness, his unbeatability, his resolute Scottishness and his Mum’s ex directory phone number in that order that have put him at the top of Novak’s Djokovic’s list of players with the coaching pedigree required (behind every great man is a greater woman Judy Murray) to be offered the top job in tennis coaching.

My money say’s we are going to see Andy and Judy in the box at the Australian Open 2025