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Novak Djokovic says his decision to appoint former rival Andy Murray as his coach was “a surprise to everyone” but is “exciting for tennis”.<\/b><\/p>\n
Britain’s three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, who retired from tennis in August, will work with Djokovic in the off-season and in the build-up to the Australian Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n Men’s record 24-time major winner Djokovic, speaking to Sky Sports, admitted his phone call caught Murray “a little off-guard”.<\/p>\n But the 37-year-old Serb said the pair “connected really fast” and Murray took only a few days to agree to the role, less than four months after ending his career at the Paris Olympics.<\/p>\n Djokovic, who is level with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles won by any player, said: “I took about six months to figure out what I needed at this stage of my career. <\/p>\n “I realised the perfect coach would be someone who has been through the experiences I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand slam winner and world number one.<\/p>\n “We discussed Andy Murray and I said I would give him a call and see how it goes. It caught him a little of guard. We connected really fast and he accepted after a few days.<\/p>\n “I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to everyone, including me, but it’s exciting for tennis.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n