Novak Djokovic confirms first tournament with Andy Murray as coach | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic has confirmed that his first tournament of the 2025 season, alongside Andy Murray, will be the Brisbane International.
His new partnership with coach Murray was confirmed last month and they will work together as the Serb bids to win a 25th Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January.
The Brisbane tournament, which runs from December 29 to January 5, is the final event before the first Grand Slam of the year.
And 10-time winner in Melbourne, Djokovic, will give fans a first glimpse of Murray as a coach while in Brisbane.
“I’m excited to be kicking off my Australian swing at the Brisbane International and to compete again at Pat Rafter Arena,” Djokovic said.
“I am looking forward to experiencing the incredible support from the Australian fans and making this tournament one to remember.”
Djokovic will also be seeking his 100th ATP title, sitting behind only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103), in a field which also includes Nick Kyrgios and defending champion Grigor Dimitrov.
Murray has partnered up with old foe Djokovic, having lost to the world No. 7 on four occasions in the Australian Open final, but their relationship jokingly started on a sour note due to the player taking some time away from tennis.
Djokovic was spotted at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday, chatting with Formula One drivers George Russell, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, though Murray was unimpressed and commented on a photo: “He should be on the practice court.”
The 37-year-old was forced into making a public apology, writing back: “Sorry coach, I will be back soon,” alongside a laughing emoji.
But the high-profile pair will be back to business at the end of this month as they gear up for the Brisbane International, where Aryna Sabalenka will headline the women’s draw.
Tournament director Cam Pearson enthused about the prospect of Djokovic and Sabalenka competing: “We are thrilled to have Novak headlining the Brisbane International 2025 along with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
“This is by far the strongest field the tournament has seen, with 15 of the top 20 men and women players confirmed.
“Add to this multiple highly ranked Australians to inspire the next generation of tennis fans and the event will be huge. We thought that it would be hard to top last year’s line-up but here we are with an even stronger field.”
While even Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has weighed in on Djokovic’s entry, saying: “The organisers of the Brisbane International have aced the line-up for this summer’s tournament, which will be one of the hottest tickets in town.”
