Samantha Stosur was left in no doubt about Sir Andy Murray’s coaching credentials after spotting the two-time Wimbledon winner carrying Novak Djokovic’s rackets at the Australian Open.
Despite only recently walking away from the sport as a player, 37-year-old Murray took on the role of coach for former rival Djokovic. Their partnership wasn’t without its tense moments Down Under, but Murray’s wisdom and support seemed an ideal match for Djokovic.
The Serbian’s run concluded with a disappointing injury that forced him to retire from his semi-final clash against Alex Zverev. Murray made quite the impression on many, playing a significant part in Djokovic’s triumphant quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz. And Stosur, who reached World No. 4 herself in 2011, was taken aback after witnessing Murray’s dedication firsthand.
Speaking on the Morning Serve, the ex-Aussie pro said: “A lot of people were skeptical when Novak made this announcement. However, when I saw Murray walking down the corridors of the tournament with Djokovic’s rackets in his hand to take them to the stringer, I knew he was taking this job very seriously.”
Stosur was also surprised that Murray decided to accept the opportunity. She added: “I think everyone was surprised. I think even Andy was surprised that, A) he got the call, and then, B) actually said yes. Look, I don’t know how long the arrangement is for or what stipulates whether it keeps going or anything like that.
“But I think the huge positive in having someone like Andy in his corner is that he knows what it’s like to win these tournaments. He knows what it takes; he knows how to play the best players in the world. He knows about recovery and managing yourself; he knows everything about it.
“So if, again talking about one percenters, Andy might have one little tidbit that helped him and he can pass it on to Novak now as opposed to some of his previous coaches, then who knows? It might make the difference for him to keep going.”
Following a thrilling Grand Slam performance, Djokovic lauded Murray for his advisory role, especially after coming back from a set down to beat Alcaraz. With the tournament over, both have agreed to discuss their partnership moving forward.
The original plan was for Murray to support the World No. 7 until the end of the event, but Murray’s remarks imply he would welcome the chance to extend his coaching stint with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
After Djokovic’s exit, the Scot said: “It was an unfortunate way to finish. The match that he played against Alcaraz was some incredible tennis, amazing to watch from the side from that close, it was an amazing performance. He’d been getting gradually better as the tournament was progressing, I think. It’s obviously a really unfortunate way to finish.
“It’s hard. When you get to that stage of the tournament, you feel like you’re getting very close to something very special, and it’s unfortunate if the body’s not responding in the way that you would like. With Novak there’s always hope with him because of how great a player he is and has found ways out of difficult situations before. It just wasn’t to be this time.”