The tennis world is excited by the Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic coaching partnership but one person thinks the Brit is lacking in some key areas.
It has been one week since the Serbian shook the sport to its core by announcing Murray as his new coach.
The 37-year-old ended the season without winning a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017 and he certainly wants to change that in 2025.
By adding a former rival to his team and one who knows him well, Novak Djokovic has certainly sent a warning shot to the rest of the field, but another coach is not convinced by the partnership at this stage.
What does Danill Medvedev’s coach think Andy Murray will struggle with while coaching Novak Djokovic?
Fans are keen to see how Andy Murray will fare as Djokovic’s coach in one of the most surprising moves of the season.
This is first job as a tennis coach and it does not get more high-profile on the current ATP Tour than being in the corner of the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Murray took the job just three months after ending his playing career at the Paris Olympic Games in August.
The coach of Daniil Medvedev, Gilles Cervara, weighed in on the topic and claimed he knew that Murray would be away from tennis for a very long time. He also suggested that Murray may struggle as coach given his lack of experience in the role.
“Knowing Murray, I’m not surprised by what’s happening because I knew he wouldn’t be able to stay still for more than two or three months after his retirement,” he told French media outlet L’Equipe.
“But he doesn’t have what you might call the training methodology, he doesn’t know anything about coaching and he’s going to learn as he goes along. That’s not why Novak wants to collaborate with him.
“I imagine that this association will bring things to Djokovic. Afterwards, there is a physical and energetic reality, in the order of things, which means that it will be hard for him, and also for some against him!”
Daniil Medvedev’s coach Gilles Cervara describes his relationship with him
Cervara has plenty to think about with his own player as Medvedev endured a difficult 2024 season.
He failed to win a title and slipped to World number five after starting the year at number three behind Carlos Alcaraz and the World number one at the time, Djokovic.
Medvedev struggled against the top players this season, as he won just one of a combined nine matches against Sinner and the current number one, Jannik Sinner.
Despite his struggle this year, Medvedev is looking to improve in 2025 and Cervara described his relationship with him.
“I think we had a good connection, a good connection as a person, and good connection in the work on court,” Cervara said about Medvedev on the Tennis Channel Podcast in November.
“The coach acknowledged that tennis wisdom and strategy is vital in this type of relationship, but there is a human part that goes beyond the game itself.
“To find the best part of everyone, to dig inside the person and to help him to find the resources and to improve as a person, I think is an important key in our job.”
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