Ex-coach shares Andy Murray’s brutally honest 2006 comment about Novak

Coach Brad Gilbert says he still perfectly remembers when a young Andy Murray very directly identified Novak Djokovic as the player who was giving him the most trouble on the court and underlined that no one else mattered. 

When the Briton was just starting his pro journey, he hired Andre Agassi’s ex-coach long-time coach and that’s how he and the American ended up working between 2006 July and 2007 November. 

After being added to the team, Gilbert went through some basics with Murray and that included wanting to know if there was a matchup he didn’t like at all. That’s when the now-British tennis legend instantly pointed out to Djokovic. 

“I remember him saying, ‘None of those guys matter, it’s only Novak,'” the American coach told the ATP website. 

Before Gilbert was brought in, Murray had lost to the Serb at the 2006 Madrid Masters. While it was their first meeting on the ATP Tour, it absolutely wasn’t the first time that they clashed against each other – they were competing against each other since their junior days. So by the time they became pros, they already knew each other very well and had many battles between them.

While the Briton was working with the American coach, he was beaten by Djokovic twice. Ultimately, he finished with 11 wins and 25 losses against the Serb.

Gilbert on the Murray – Djokovic partnership 

After being one of the biggest rivals and creating one of the best tennis rivalries in the 21st century, the former two-time Wimbledon champion and the record 24-time Grand Slam winner are now set to work together. 

When the news broke out about their collaboration, many were excited but also had some questions. In the past, Djokovic worked with coaches with prior experience – and even when he hired Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic – they were two former players who had been well-retired. 

This time, the 37-year-old took a completely different approach. And Gilbert isn’t…