By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, Might 23, 2025
Picture credit score: Matthew Calvis
The prospect of Novak Djokovic partnering rival Andy Murray as coach initially struck John McEnroe as a punch line.
Requested to evaluate the marquee pairing between main champions that ended after the Mutua Madrid Open, McEnroe instructed the media at the moment he thought the Djokovic-Murray pairing was a joke at first.
In reality, the You Can not Be Critical creator confessed it precipitated him a case of the giggles.
Former world No. 1 in singles and doubles, McEnroe mentioned the explanation the high-profile pairing didn’t produce a title is straightforward: Rivals can’t run collectively.
“When it first occurred, I laughed,” John McEnroe instructed the media on TNT’s Zoom name at the moment to advertise the community’s Roland Garros protection beginning Sunday at 5 a.m. Japanese time. “It was such as you’ve gotta be kidding me.
“It’s like Lendl teaching me. It’s like come on or Connors [coaching me]—they’re rivals—however it was enjoyable.”
McEnroe, who stepped down as Staff World captain in Laver Cup on the finish of final yr, mentioned he hoped the Djokovic-Murray collaboration would erupt into full screaming matches as they’ve each castigated coaches previously.
“It was kind of enjoyable to see what was gonna occur,” McEnroe mentioned. “I gotta admit I used to be ready for them to go at it on the sidelines, begin screaming at one another as a result of they’ve each respectfully executed that to coaches of their careers.”
TNT Sports activities, the unique residence of reside Roland-Garros protection within the U.S., mentioned it plans to “present essentially the most complete protection within the historical past of the Parisian Grand Slam.”
McEnroe, Jim Courier and Caroline Wozniacki can be among the many community’s prime analysts with Andre Agassi and Venus Williams additionally set to contribute to protection.
All of it begins Sunday, Might 25, at 5 a.m. ET on TNT, truTV and Max. TNT Sports activities will ship practically 300 hours of programming throughout TNT and truTV — all originating reside from Paris — together with unprecedented streaming protection on Max and intensive unique content material accessible by way of Bleacher Report and Home of Highlights.
Although the Djokovic-Murray pairing fizzled, McEnroe believes Murray, whose mom Judy Murray was his unique coach and went on to captain the British Billie Jean King Cup squad, is usually a very formidable coach if he decides to pursue it.
“I consider he can be coach—a very good coach as a result of he is aware of the sport inside-out,” McEnroe mentioned of Murray. “If Andy desires to do this, I feel he can be a very good coach.
“I can’t inform you proper now who I might say he ought to coach if he had been to resolve he would need to try this. He’s obtained 4 younger women I consider. And he was travelling on a regular basis so I’m guessing he doesn’t need to proceed to do this [travel]. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see what he desires to do.”
