After battling worldwide for almost two decades, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will join forces at the beginning of 2025! Novak picked Andy as his new coach, openingan exciting chapter that intrigues the tennis world and the main protagonists!
Novak conquered the Olympic gold medal in Paris in August, fulfilling his dream and completing the game of tennis. The Serb will switch his focus back to Majors in 2025, hoping to add more notable trophies to his collection under Murray's guidance.
Djokovic and Murray embraced 36 meetings on the Tour between 2006 and 2017. They could have reached the number of 40 or 50, but the Briton lost the pace and struggled with injuries until he decided to retire at the Olympic Games a couple of months ago.
Novak and Andy fought at every notable tournament, embracing incredible battles and keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats. Their 36th and final duel came in the 2017 Doha final. Was it memorable? You bet!
Djokovic fights off Murray in an epic 2017 Doha final
Novak and Andy fought for the year-end no. 1 honor in 2016 until the final match. Murray defeated Djokovic in the ATP Finals title clash, securing his only year-end no. 1 season. Both players entered the ATP 250 event in Doha at the beginning of 2017 and reached the final.
Two great friends and rivals turned it into an epic one, with Novak prevailing 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in two hours and 54 minutes! No one could have thought it would be their final encounter, but they at least produced a cracker, throwing everything at each other for nearly three hours.
We saw everything tennis has to offer, as the two rivals produced a great mixture of attacking tennis and defense. The finest baseliners covered every inch of the court superbly, constantly drawing anothershot from the other side.
The Serb claimed ten points more than the Briton. The defending champion served at 72% but struggled a bit on the first serve. However, Djokovic played well behind the second serve and defended five of seven break points, facing five in the second set.
Novak created four break points and seized three, prevailing in the decider and lifting a trophy. He squandered match points in the second set, leaving them behind and sealing the deal in the third.
Djokovic rushed to the net and tamed his strokes more efficiently. The defending champion landed 35 winners and 25 unforced errors while leaving his opponent on a 29-33 ratio. The Serb had the upper hand in the shortest exchanges. The Briton followed the rival's pace in the most extended ones.
They embraced 50 rallies with ten strokes or more, throwing everything at each other in a ruthless battle.
Novak wins the opening set
Djokovic served at 81% in the first set. He claimed every point behind the second serve and denied the only break point. He stole Murray's serve once and made a difference. Novak closed the opening game of the match after deuces and faced a break point at 1-1.
Andy created an opportunity with a drop shot winner but could not convert it. Djokovic landed a service winner and held for 2-1 after 19 minutes. The Serb closed the seventh game at love and extended the next one after the Briton's backhand error.
Murray sprayed a forehand error and dropped serve after another, propelling his great rival 5-3 in front. World no. 2 served for the opener in game nine and cracked a forehand down the line winner for a hold at love and 6-3 after 48 minutes.
Andy bounces back in set number two
World no. 1 had no room for errors in the second set, and he fought hard to extend the duel, as always! The set lasted 74 minutes, and the Briton brought it home with two breaks on his tally. Novak closed the second game with a smash winner, and they served well in the upcoming ones.
Murray attacked on the return in the sixth game and landed a volley winner at the net for a break chance. Djokovic saved it and painted a forehand down the line winner to close the game and lock the result at 3-3. Novak fell in the first point of the seventh game, hurting his head a bit.
However, he created two break chances and seized the second after the rival's double fault. Thus, the Serb opened a set and a break advantage, moving closer to the finish line. Novak held at 30 in the eighth game, moving 5-3 up and looking good to seal the deal in the next ten minutes.
Still, Murray had other plans! He held at 15 in the ninth game and made a push on the return in the next one. Andy painted a backhand crosscourt winner for a break chance in the tenth game, and Novak erased it with a forehand winner. The Serb earned a match point.
He squandered it with a backhand error and wasted two more opportunities to seal the deal.Murray blasted a forehand crosscourt winner on a break point, clinching the game after 13 minutes and locking the result at 5-5. Djokovic lost his temper and smashed a racquet in the 11th game.
The defending champion served to stay in the set at 5-6 and experienced another blow. The Briton generated two set points with a backhand down the line winner. Could the Serb respond? Not this time! Andy drew Novak's mistake with a sharp return, rattling off four games and forcing a decider.
Djokovic leaves a setback behind and wins
Novak closed the second game of the final set at love and landed a service winner in the fourth for 2-2. Andy fired an ace in the fifth game, holding at love for a 3-2 advantage. The sixth game could have been crucial, with Murray extending the game and earning a break chance.
Djokovic saved it with a smash winner and drew the rival's mistake for a pivotal hold and 3-3. The Serb gained a boost and secured a break at love in game seven, opening a 4-3 advantage. The defending champion held at 15 in game eight, forging a 5-3 advantage.
The Briton served to stay in the match in game nine and closed it at 15 with a service winner. Novak served for his second Doha title at 5-4and fell 30-0 behind. Andy missed a chance to create break chances and netted a backhand to face a match point.
Djokovic seized it with a forehand winner after another entertaining rally, beating his great rival for the 25th and last time.
