Andy Roddick believes Andy Murray’s problem-solving prowess and as well as his will and ability to overcome adversity were key to Novak Djokovic’s decision to appoint the three-time Grand Slam winner as coach.
Having been without a full-time coach for most of the 2024 season, Djokovic raised eyebrows when he turned to his former rival Murray as the pair will team up during the off-season and at the Australian Open.
With Djokovic already one of the greatest tennis players of all time, everyone is curious to see what Murray will add to his game.
The 37-year-old Murray retired in August this year after nearly two decades at the top as he won two Wimbledon titles and one US Open trophy while he also spent time at No 1 in the rankings.
But Murray struggled to really hit those heights again after he underwent hip resurfacing surgery at the start of 2019.
Former world No 1 Roddick says the fact that Murray was able to return and still mix with the best after surgery shows that he will be able to help Djokovic when the going gets tough.
“Murray is not going to go in and tinker. Murray is not going to be like ‘hey we are going to change the way you play’. That’s not what this is about. This is literally another set of eyeballs on five match-ups,” he said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.
“Novak is Tyson forever, Djokovic can walk in, blow you off the court, play defense, do all these things, but is he still the best attacker on clay? I don’t know. Sinner probably took him, Sinner is younger and can probably create probably more pace at this point, but it doesn’t mean he’s a better player overall.
“But what has Andy done in the last four years of his career on the court? He’s tried to solve problems. That struggle that Murray went through is a value to Novak at this age. Me saying that Novak at 38 is not as good as Novak at 32 shouldn’t be controversial.
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“I think I have said this on this podcast before, I think Murray might have the highest tennis IQ I have ever seen and been around. He’s competed with these kind of superheroes without the biggest shot on the court and without being faster than them.
“He is a master of nuance, he is the master of scouting reports, he knows everything backwards, he’s a detail-oriented guy.
“You are not going to get into Novak’s ear by giving him lazy vagaries, you need some thought behind it.”
