If tennis fans thought Rafael Nadal’s retirement would be the biggest news of the 2024 calendar season, they were wrong.

24-time major champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday announced in a post onto his account on X (formerly Twitter) that longtime rival, friend and Andy Murray, who also stepped away from the sport this year, will be joining his team as a coach through the 2025 Australian Open.

“We played each other since we were boys,” Djokovic said. “25 years of being rivals. Of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, history-makers. I thought our story may be over.

“Turns out, it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard, Coach Andy Murray.”

Tennis fans were stunned.

Even the ATP Tour was surprised.

Djokovic and Murray grew up competing against each other on the junior circuit, then took their rivalry to the ATP Tour, where they met 36 times, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 edge, including a 5-2 edge in major finals.

After six years together, Djokovic in March parted ways with coach Goran Ivanišević.

While Murray is expected to be a part of Djokovic’s team through the 2025 Australian Open, it is currently unclear if the partnership will extend beyond the tennis calendar’s first Grand Slam.