Coach Murray

News

Call me Coach

On Saturday, Novak Djokovic made the surprising announcement to hire just-retired Andy Murray as his coach in 2025.

To me, the news is both jarring and genius. Why?

On the one hand, the two were fierce rivals over the last two decades, and brought each other to agonizing defeats. They met in a whopping 7 grand slam finals, with Djokovic winning 5. I understand that they’re friends and have the utmost respect for each other, but there’s 5% of me that wonders, after so many tear-jerking defeats, how the Federer can Murray want to work with Nole?

I guess I need to grow up.

On the other side, I think Novak brought on the Brit because he [Andy] is one of the only people on the planet that can relate to where Novak is in his career. Having knee surgery this year and losing way more than he’s used to, Novak is nearing the end of his career. Andy, who was basically bionic for his last few years, knows exactly the challenges of navigating the last few seasons: making scheduling decisions, balancing parenthood & playing, the emotional turbulence of knowing the end is near, and likely so much more.

Of course, Andy’s tennis IQ is off the charts too, but there’s plenty of other great coaches out there who could talk x’s and o’s with Djokovic. Nole is in foreign territory and needs a guide. Former No. 1 Murray is a phenomenal pick.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to see Murray in the box. I can’t wait to see him stand up, roar and give a fist pump to the GOAT while he goes to war against Alcaraz.

And who knows, maybe someone will be roaring back in the other box. I doubt Carlitos would mind having Rafa on staff.

Trivia

Tennis racket technology has changed considerably over the last half century, moving from wood to composite materials. Who was the last player to ever win a grand slam with a wooden racket?

A. Jimmy Connors

B. Yannick Noah

C. Björn Borg

D. John McEnroe

Find out at the bottom!

Meet the Player

JC Shang

From: China 🇨🇳

Best Slam Result: 3rd Round

Career High Ranking: 47

Fun Fact: Nicknamed Jerry, after his favorite show Tom & Jerry

Game Analysis: Verdasco is the best comparison I can think of for this kid. Lefty, hits huge off both sides, and is supremely athletic. That said, I’m concerned that his forehand wind up takes too long, robbing him of the opportunity to play offense more often.

Career Prediction: At just 19, JC has time to get physically stronger, gain match experience, and make technical adjustments. I think he’s got the game to be top 10 in a few years and make a slam semi.

Shot of the Week

Absolutely Bananas

I will forever be obsessed with this match. Fernando Verdasco played the best tennis of his life, and it still wasn’t enough against Nadal. You’ll need a shovel to scoop up your jaw from the floor after this point. Enjoy 😎

News

Headlines From the Tours

🇮🇹 The carbo-loaded country of Italy asserted its dominance on the tennis world. Last week, both national teams took home the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup titles. State side, many American fans are pissed at captain Bob Bryan for playing Ben Shelton & Tommy Paul (who lost) in doubles against Australia, instead of doubles specialists (and Olympic silver medalists) Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.

🏫 NCAAs wrapped up on Sunday. Columbia junior Michael Zheng took home the D1 Men’s singles title, becoming the first Ivy League player to win it in over 100 years. Georgia senior Dasha Vidmanova won the D1 Women’s singles and doubles titles, joining a short list of players to ever claim both.

😔 “It's like an endless nightmare that I'm daily trying to find solutions and alternatives for, but I can't find them. It all started with that first surgery...” In a video released on his Instagram, Juan Martin del Potro shared the heart breaking news of his battle with severe, chronic pain after many failed knee surgeries and treatment plans. The video is in Spanish, so here’s the translated transcript.

Memes

When coach says, “give your opponent a different look”

Answer

B. Yannick Noah

Before rackets went shiny, the Frenchman won the 1983 Roland Garros with the Le Coq Sportif TCO racket, which adorns a sick rooster stencil 🐓