“I’m kind of fascinated seeing if there is something different right away” – Gilbert on Djokovic/ Murray teaming up
Gilbert has coached Murray himself and is looking forward to how the partnership unfolds in the new season
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Brad Gilbert, one of the most well-respected coaches in the tennis world, is keenly looking forward to seeing the Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray partnership in action in the new season.
A few weeks ago, Djokovic announced that he was hiring Murray as his new coach in a move that stunned the tennis world. The Brit, a former world No 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion, had been one of Djokovic’s biggest rivals outside of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and had only retired from the sport in August at the end of the Paris Olympics.
Players, fans and pundits have been excited about seeing the two of them in their new partnership and Gilbert, a former coach of Murray himself, is among them too.
“I kind of sensed that Novak was going to do something. 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 told the ATP Tour website.
The first thing I’ll want to do when I’m in Australia is just go watch Murray and Novak practise.
“Andy knows a lot about Novak, knows a lot about the players who Novak is going to be chasing. But I think more than anything, where Novak is, you’ve got these two huge, young guys now (Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz) who have just really elevated and I think Novak probably feels like he needs a little bit and I think most importantly, needs that motivation.”
Known his for his sharp tactical bent of mind, Gilbert is very keen to see what kind of changes the new partnership brings to Djokovic’s game.
“The first thing I’ll want to do when I’m in Australia is just go watch Murray and Novak practise,” the American, who most recently coached Coco Gauff, said, “It will be interesting, do they practise together? Is he practising with a practice 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 seeing if there is something different right away.”
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