Novak Djokovic admitted that Andy Murray was surprised when asked to be the Serbian’s new coach. 

Djokovic admitted that his phone call with Murray caught the Scot “a little off guard” but stressed that the pair “connected really fast”.

The 37-year-old is said to have only taken a few days to agree to the role, less than four months after retiring at the Paris Olympics.

Djokovic, a 24-time major winner, told Sky Sports: “I took about six months to figure out what I needed at this stage of my career.

“I realised the perfect coach would be someone who has been through the experiences I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner and world No. 1.

“We discussed Andy Murray and I said I would give him a call and see how it goes. It caught him a little off guard. We connected really fast and he accepted after a few days.

“I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to everyone, including me, but it’s exciting for tennis.

“He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age. We’ve played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.”

Djokovic also admitted that 2024 had been a difficult season as the Serbian failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017. 

Discussing his own future, Djokovic said: “We all know we have to stop and say goodbye at some point. Even though it was expected for Rafa [Nadal] and Andy, both of them saying farewell to the sport is a shock for all of us.

“My body is serving me well, I still have motivation to win Grand Slams. The reason I asked Andy to work with me is because I still have big plans.

“I’ll keep going as much as I can feel like I can keep being a candidate for the biggest titles.”