Five months on from playing his final game of professional tennis, Andy Murray has returned to the courts - but this time as Novak Djokovic's coach.
On Tuesday, the tennis duo were pictured practising together in Melbourne for the first time before the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2025, begins on Sunday.
© GettyThe partnership comes as 37-year-old Novak begins his campaign to secure a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title. The two sporting legends were spotted on the courts of Melbourne Park, where they have been hard at work ahead of the tournament.
New tennis partnership
Known for their fierce rivalry in the past, the collaboration has sparked excitement in the tennis world. Both players have faced each other in numerous high-stakes matches throughout their careers.
© GettyAndy's transition into coaching comes five months after he retired at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In November, it was announced that Andy would work with Novak until the end of the Australian Open before making a decision on any longer-term partnership.
Shortly after, Novak opened up to ATP about Andy, and how he had him impressed with his "meticulous" approach to coaching. He said: "In a way it was strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I'm going through.
"But I'm so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me here in Australia. The ten days that we spent together were terrific. I enjoyed every bit of it.
© Getty"He has a unique perspective on my game as one of the greatest rivals that I've had. He knows the pros and cons of my game. He has also played up to recently on the tour, so he knows all the other best players currently in the world, the youngsters and the weaknesses and strengths in their game."
Andy's stellar career
Andy won his first Grand Slam title at the 2012 US Open a year before ending Britain's 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men's singles champion in 2013. He then added a second victory at the All England Club in 2016.
The sports star is also a five-time Australian Open runner-up, as well as a French Open finalist. Among his achievements, Andy has won two gold medals at the Olympics. The dad-of-four reached his first major semi-final and final at the 2008 US Open, where he lost in the final to Roger Federer in straight sets.
Setback
Andy's decision to retire follows a turbulent period for the Scotsman, who has undergone two hip surgeries in a desperate attempt to return to his former glory. He first underwent surgery in 2018, and underwent hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, admitting he was living in pain every day after suffering from a debilitating injury.
Despite being plagued by various injuries, Andy's focus had remained on winning matches. "For now, I'm still focussed on playing tennis and winning matches," he told HELLO! in 2022.
© Getty"I've been pleased with my progress this year, but there are definitely some areas to improve on.
"I'll be doing a training block in December so we'll be hoping to identify some of those areas and work on them, so hopefully I can get some more wins under my belt next year."
