Novak Djokovic confirmed Andy Murray will remain his coach “indefinitely” before he was eliminated in the first round of the Qatar Open.
Djokovic fell 7-6(4), 6-2 to Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in his first singles match since retiring from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
It was the Italian’s first win over Djokovic in five clashes, having lost to the 24-time grand slam champ in the final at Wimbledon in 2021.
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“I didn’t have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I was outplayed by just a better player today,” said Djokovic.
“Yes, I wasn’t at my desired level, and it could be that I’m still not moving the way I want to move, but, I mean, I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that.
“He was just the better player. I think he played a master class match, to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side.”
Berrettini will face Tallon Griekspoor in the second round of the ATP 500 event.
Leading into the match, Djokovic told the ATP Tour’s in-house media channel that Murray has agreed to stay on as coach.
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Djokovic and Murray joined forces ahead of the Australian Open and the the 37-year-old Serb seemed to excel before he retired hurt with a hamstring injury.
“I expressed my desire to continue the collaboration with him, so I am really glad he did accept,” said Djokovic.
“It is indefinite in terms of how long we are going to work together, but we agreed most likely in the States and some clay-court tournaments,” Djokovic added. “We will see how it goes after that.”
Djokovic added: “It was exciting for the whole tennis world and also for us to be in different roles together on the same side of the net.
“He has a unique perspective on my game – he has played me, he has played all the current best players in the world in my opponents.”
The next major tournament Djokovic and Murray will tackle is the French Open, which starts on May 25.