Andy Murray’s former coach, Mark Petchey, has insisted the tennis icon won’t be coming out of retirement after John McEnroe set tongues wagging at the Australian Open.
Murray retired from the sport back in the summer after playing with Dan Evans in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.
He is currently coaching Novak Djokovic Down Under, with the Serb hoping to win a 25th Grand Slam title that would move him ahead of Margaret Court.
But McEnroe recently fuelled talk he could make a stunning return, with the American saying: “The coaching situation between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, it’s fun but it’s got to be one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard.
Andy Murray is currently working with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open
REUTERS
“I remember being in Australia and hearing that Andy Murray was being coached by Ivan Lendl, my great rival and nemesis from way back when, and I thought about it and said, ‘Oh my God, this is going to work’… But there’s a big age gap.
“There’s a one week age gap between Novak and Andy and he just stopped playing.
“My theory is, Andy’s going to coach Novak for the next couple of months, and then he’s going to find out everything he needs to know about how to beat Djokovic and then he’s coming back!”
However, Petchey has now shut down that suggestion and insisted that Murray will stay retired – rather than making a blockbuster return.
Speaking exclusively to GB News via Casino.org, Murray’s old coach said: “I know John McEnroe has been joking, saying that Andy is part of the staff to find all of Novak’s secret and then come out of retirement.
“I can assure you that Andy hasn’t been hitting any tennis balls, minus 20 minutes in Marbella and a knock around at Novak’s event pre-tournament.
“There is no comeback plan or deception in the camp.
“It’s all about being part of the camp and helping Novak to do the best that he can.
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“Only Andy and Novak know how long it will last. It’s hard to put a timeframe on.
“If he wins the tournament, of course there might be a push for him to stay.
“Even if he doesn’t, I’m sure they will discuss it. There’s a big gap between Melbourne and Paris.
“Andy will reflect on it personally too. The time spent away from family, and the time spent just pondering what coaching actually means and how much you have to give towards it.
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Andy Murray’s former coach, Mark Petchey, has insisted the tennis icon won’t be coming out of retirement after John McEnroe set tongues wagging at the Australian Open
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“Even if he just turned up at the majors, it would be difficult for him to ignore what’s going on with Novak between them.”
Djokovic is hoping to win an 11th Australian Open title this winter.
He’s won both of his matches at the competition so far, against Nishesh Basavareddy and Jaime Faria.
Andy Murray could stay with Novak Djokovic if the Serb wins a 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open
REUTERS
Next up for Djokovic is 26th seed Tomas Machac.
The 24-year-old has beaten Sumit Nagal and Reilly Opelka so far to qualify for the third round.
The two men have met each other twice over the past two years, with Djokovic winning their first content in Dubai in 2023 before Machac avenged that defeat in Geneva in 2024.