Why Andy Murray could be Novak Djokovic’s secret weapon in his bid for Aussie glory, writes DAN EVANS

I was as excited as everyone else when I heard the news that Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. For Andy it makes sense: three weeks in the Australian summer when the weather at home is bad for golf!

As for Novak, he’s not stupid, he didn’t pick him just because it’s going to make headlines – Andy is going to be a great coach.

He’s quite obsessive about everything he does – including his golf – and this will be no exception. He also loves the statistics and clearly has an incredible work ethic.

Talking to Andy about the game is completely different to talking to anyone else: his level of tactical insight and his attitude. I remember a few of us talking about the draw before a Davis Cup match and saying, ‘Yes, Andy will beat this guy.’ Andy got wind of it and wasn’t happy. He said, ‘No, this guy is dangerous and this is how he can beat me,’ and then he breaks the guy’s game down.

He will bring that level of analysis to any opponent. Novak dropped a few sets he probably shouldn’t have in the first round of the Grand Slams last year, so maybe Andy can help in that area so he can be fresher on the business side.

It’s great that Andy will be on tour again and, although Novak is getting his services at the moment, why can’t a British player contact him? I would like to see that, he would be a great addition to any British player. During the big events and preparation, no one knows how to prepare for a Grand Slam better than him, so for a Brit to have Andy, perhaps alongside his usual coach, could be invaluable.

He dropped a few sets that he probably shouldn’t have in the first round of the Grand Slams last year

Murray will bring an intense level of analysis that has impressed those he has played with

And that’s what Andy will be: a resource. I don’t think he will ever be a full-time coach, traveling 30 to 40 weeks a year. He needs time away from tennis with his family and his golf, he is enjoying his retirement.

But these short stints around a Grand Slam will be perfect for him and long may it continue as he is truly missed on the tour. Hopefully he’ll be around for Indian Wells as that’s always a good golf trip!

It’s a smart move by Novak. Andy can reassure him about his abilities, but even if things aren’t quite right during training or matches, Andy will have no problem telling him and I think that hasn’t always been the case with people who Novak have coached. earlier.

Andy knows all about all the parts of Novak’s game that people could exploit. They will have sat down and talked about their matches, what their tactics were against each other – everyone will have wanted to be a fly on the wall for that discussion.

I’m a fan of Novak. I would love to see him win another Grand Slam title and the fact that he brought Andy in shows that he is still very hungry to do well. It feels like he was written off a little bit last year, which is crazy.

He probably didn’t play enough tennis last year, but we sometimes forget that these guys his age have a lot of other things to do. Novak is married, he has two kids, I’m sure he wants to spend more time at home, but when he saw other people picking up his trophies he thought, let’s really give it a try this year.

It says a lot that he played against Brisbane last week. Andy wasn’t with him, but let’s not kid ourselves, even if he was on vacation, he would have watched every shot Novak played.

A lot of tennis fans have taken Novak the wrong way, but over the last few years they’ve really come to appreciate him and now with his fights with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz there’s a storyline and I think he’s using that for a bit of motivation.

Djokovic will be fresh in Australia and when he’s all fired up – and now with Andy in his corner – that’s a dangerous, dangerous tennis player

There are a lot of comparisons between Sinner and Alcaraz, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, but wait, we’re a long way from that at the moment and Novak has a lot more to say about the game.

He’ll be new to Australia and when he’s fully fired up – and now with Andy in his corner – that’s a dangerous, dangerous tennis player.

Would I ever start coaching myself? I’ve thought about it. I would like to help the British players. I think I have something to offer, I think I know quite a bit about the game, but it would have to be the right player at the right time.

Have you ever wondered how a tennis player spends the holidays? I flew on the 23rd and my friend Aleah stayed home. On Christmas Eve I took a short flight to Canberra to prepare for the Challenger event there, so on Christmas Day I found myself wandering around a very empty city by myself. It’s just the life of a tennis player – I haven’t had a real Christmas at home since Covid.