Djokovic & Murray be part of listing of No. 1s to type player-coach relationship | ATP Tour

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Djokovic & Murray be part of listing of No. 1s to type player-coach relationship

Federer-Edberg, Moya-Nadal amongst different No. 1 pairings

November 28, 2024

The information that Novak Djokovic is bringing on Andy Murray as his new coach shook the tennis world on Saturday. Whereas it could appear unprecedented for 2 greats of the sport to staff up in a player-coach relationship, this isn’t the primary time two former No. 1s within the PIF ATP Rankings have joined forces on the identical aspect of the web.

Whereas Djokovic and Murray’s prolonged Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry — which spanned 36 matches — is exclusive amongst player-coach pairings, there are a lot of examples of profitable pairings of World No. 1s in current historical past. ATPTour.com seems again at a few of these partnerships.

Jimmy Connors & Andy Roddick (2006-08)Roddick gained the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 and reached the 2006 US Open last shortly after hiring Connors in 2006. The all-American partnership, which lasted a 12 months and a half, noticed Roddick rise as excessive as No. 3 within the PIF ATP Rankings.

“Jimmy hadn’t been across the Tour in 15 years,” Roddick not too long ago stated on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast. “However I knew that once I was teeing off, first spherical, Arthur Ashe Stadium, underneath the lights, US Open, he knew precisely what I used to be feeling once I walked on the market.”

Stefan Edberg & Roger Federer (2014-15)Federer introduced his childhood idol Edberg onto his staff for the 2014 season, and the pair agreed to increase what was initially a one-year association for a second season in 2015. Federer gained two Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 titles in that point and in addition claimed the 2014 Rolex Shanghai Masters crown. He additionally reached three main finals, two at Wimbledon and a 3rd on the 2015 US Open.

“It was a dream come true,” Federer stated on the shut of his partnership with Edberg. “He taught me a lot, and his affect on my sport will stay. He’ll all the time be part of my staff.”

Edberg and Federer pose with Federer’s 2015 ATP Awards: the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award and the Followers’ Favorite singles award. Picture by Getty Photos.

Boris Becker & Novak Djokovic (2014-16)Becker coached Djokovic to 6 of his document 24 Grand Slam singles titles, together with his first Roland Garros crown in 2016, throughout a profitable three-season run. After his triumph on the clay-court main, Djokovic held all 4 Slam titles on the similar time. The Serbian additionally gained 14 ATP Masters 1000s throughout his time with Becker, together with three-peats at Indian Wells and Miami.

“The targets we set after we began working collectively have been fully fulfilled,” Djokovic stated in an announcement stating that the pair had mutually determined to finish their partnership. “I need to thank him for the cooperation, teamwork, dedication and dedication.”

Andre Agassi & Novak Djokovic (2017-18)Agassi was a part of Djokovic’s staff for almost a 12 months from mid-2017, alongside Radek Stepanek. Whereas their partnership was casual and with no contract, Djokovic benefited from the expertise of a participant who had additionally been to the very high of the sport.

“He was genuinely wanting to assist and to present me recommendation and to share his expertise with me, and that speaks sufficient about him as an individual,” the Serbian stated of Agassi. “He’s somebody that I all the time admired as a participant and an individual. The final eight, 9 months with Andre was superb. The quantity of issues that I discovered, not nearly tennis however about life typically… for that I’m very grateful.”

Agassi and Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2017. Picture by AFP/Getty Photos.

Carlos Moya & Rafael Nadal (2017-2024)Moya and Nadal squared off eight instances on the ATP Tour from 2003-08, with Nadal claiming a 6-2 edge of their Lexus ATP Head2Head collection. The Spaniards met when Nadal was 11 years outdated. Nineteen years later, when Nadal was 30, he introduced on Moya as coach.

Moya helped Nadal enhance the aggression in his sport, and collectively they gained eight Grand Slam titles, together with 5 at Roland Garros. Previous to Moya’s introduction, Nadal didn’t advance past the quarter-finals at any main in 2015 and 2016.

“Now that every part is over, I’ve many reminiscences of an unimaginable interval of my life that can by no means be matched,” Moya not too long ago mirrored. “It’s one thing I’ll all the time carry with me. I’m grateful that he thought I may type a part of his staff for this journey.”

Juan Carlos Ferrero & Carlos Alcaraz (2018-Current)Ferrero started working together with his fellow Spaniard when Alcaraz was 15 in 2018. As Alcaraz has risen to the very high of the ATP Tour, Ferrero has been with him each step of the best way — from his breakthrough into the Prime 500, to his ATP 12 months-Finish No. 1 introduced by PIF honours in 2022, to his third and fourth Grand Slam titles in 2024.

“He’s powerful. He’s a really critical individual when he needs to be, in the case of work and self-discipline, he’s very exhausting on you,” Alcaraz, now 21, stated of his longtime coach. “However he’s additionally very, very humorous when he needs to be. He is aware of easy methods to differentiate the moments very properly.”