MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic has vowed to continue his hunt for a record-breaking 25th grand slam title as he reflects on his premature end to the Australian Open through injury.
But whether Andy Murray continues as a key figure in Djokovic’s hunt for major crowns remains to be seen, with the former rivals set to discuss the future of their high-profile union.
Djokovic shocked the tennis world last year when he appointed recently-retired Murray as his coach on a short-term agreement through to the end of his Open campaign.
The partnership had been one of the biggest talking points at Melbourne Park throughout Djokovic’s quest for an 11th Open crown and remained so after the Serb’s abrupt withdrawal from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev after losing a draining first set.
“We are both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps,” Djokovic said, soon after he succumbed to his hamstring injury.
“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels.
“We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are.
“I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”
Murray, too, kept his cards close to his chest, refusing to answer questions about his future with Djokovic beyond the Open.
“Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak, and we’ll do that,” the 37-year-old Scot said.
But Murray, a three-time major champion himself who retired last August, admits he has the coaching bug after his first taste of sitting in another player’s corner at a grand slam.
“I always knew that I would enjoy coaching – I never thought otherwise – but there’s things that I’ve learnt about coaching that are maybe a bit different than what I expected,” Murray said.
“And there’s certainly areas of coaching that I will need to get better at moving forwards.”
Djokovic was booed by some spectators after his withdrawal against Zverev in a sour end to what he conceded could be his final Open appearance.
The Serbian superstar, who turns in 38 in May, was also forced to withdraw from last year’s French Open through injury.
But he is adamant he can still compete at the top level as he seeks to become the first player to win 25 major singles titles.
“It’s not like I’m worrying, approaching every grand slam now, whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years,” Djokovic said.
“So it is true that I am getting injured quite a bit the last few years.
“I don’t know what exactly is the reason for that. Maybe several different factors.
