“Novak is one of the best players in history, so I don’t know if Murray will be able to contribute anything,” Rublev said on the Tennis Weekly Podcast.
When Novak Djokovic shocked the tennis world by announcing that his new coach would be former rival Andy Murray, opinions flew around over whether the partnership could help the Serbian counter the twin threats of Janik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, tennis’ newest stars. World No 8 Andrey Rublev has waded into the debate and expressed his doubts over whether the Briton could bring much to the table that Djokovic already isn’t aware of.
“Novak is one of the best players in history, so I don’t know if Murray will be able to contribute anything,” Rublev said on the Tennis Weekly Podcast.
The World No.8 added, “But the positive energy, stemming from their friendship, can sometimes be more beneficial than anything else at this level. Djokovic knows everything about tennis, he understands it better than anyone, and if they are friends, he may feel something different and, for example, appear fresher or more motivated.”
Rublev also said that the dynamic shared by Djokovic and Murray could also come into strain as the Serbian tends to be vocal during matches. How Murray deals with a former peer ‘speaking harshly’ might also become a factor that comes into play as the season goes by.
“It will be interesting because sometimes, Nole is too emotional on the court and speaks harshly to his team, so I am curious to see how Murray reacts in those situations,” said Rublev.
Murray’s former coach Jamie Delgado has spoken in the past about how knowing Djokovic’s game and the psychological side of playing against him could be helpful for their partnership.
Andy’s very sharp with the data side of things and the strategy,” the 47-year-old said. “You have got to remember that Andy has played against Novak many times, so he will know and express to Novak what makes him so difficult to play against, remind him of those things that his opponents will be feeling when they play against him.”
