Former Andy Murray’s coach excited about partnership with Novak Djokovic: “I’m fascinated to see if there’s something different"

Brad Gilbert, who coached Andy Murray between 2006 and 2007—a period during which the Briton broke into the top 10 for the first time—has shared his thoughts on Murray’s new role as Novak Djokovic’s coach.

Gilbert, renowned for his coaching success, has worked with top players such as Andy Roddick, Kei Nishikori, and Coco Gauff, whom he guided to her 2023 US Open title.

Djokovic recently shocked the tennis world by announcing that Murray, his former rival and a three-time Grand Slam champion, would be his coach for the 2025 season. This decision came months after Djokovic ended his long-term partnership with Goran Ivanisevic in March and temporarily enlisted Nenad Zimonjic, the former Serbian Davis Cup captain, as his coach.

The news of Murray joining Djokovic’s team came as a surprise, as the Serb had not shown signs of appointing a new coach. However, Djokovic revealed the hiring on social media, leaving fans and experts buzzing.

“I kind of sensed that Novak was going to do something,” Brad Gilbert said in a recent interview with the ATP. “You didn’t know what he was going to do, but you kind of sensed that he probably needed something, and something to motivate him. And obviously, he goes way back with Andy,” Gilbert added.

The American coach, who parted ways with Coco Gauff in September, expressed his curiosity about how the partnership between Murray and Djokovic would evolve. Djokovic’s first tournament of the season will be the Brisbane International, followed by the Australian Open in Melbourne.

“The first thing I’ll want to do when I’m in Australia is just go watch Murray and Novak practice,” Brad Gilbert commented. “It will be interesting—do they practice together? Is he practicing with a partner? And [I want to see] if I notice anything different early in the first round. As a coach myself and a former player, I’m kind of fascinated to see if there is something different right away."