Andy Murray is set to return to the tennis court in Australia — just five months after taking a step back from the game.
The Dunblane double-Olympic gold medallist hasn’t secured a dramatic last minute wildcard to the Australian Open; but, he will be playing in a charity event. Andy is joining a star studded line-up for A Night With Novak at the Rod Laver Arena, reports the Daily Record.
The event, featuring tennis great Novak Djokovic, comes ahead of the first Grand Slam of 2025 getting underway in Australia, with 15,000 fans set to pack out the venue. Mr Djokovic said: “Being on the same side of the net is actually great for a change because he’s been one of my greatest rivals.
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“In a way it was strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I’m going through, what I’m thinking about, how I see my game with somebody that has always been one of the top rivals.
“But I’m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me here in Australia. The 10 days that we spent together were terrific. I enjoyed every bit of it. He’s very meticulous, he’s very dedicated, so professional.”
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This year marks the third edition of the charity exhibition, which features 10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic and raises funds for a range of children’s charities through the Australian Tennis Foundation.
A packed schedule of action will see Murray on court twice – as he first joins Belinda Bencic and for a doubles match against Djokovic and Olympic women’s singles gold medallist Zheng Qinwen for a doubles match.
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That is followed by a Paralympic doubles contest, where Djokovic and Murray will join forces to take on world No.1 wheelchair tennis star Tokito Oda and Australian wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott. All proceeds from the charity matches will support a range of charities through the Australian Tennis Foundation, which has provided over 100,000 hours of fun to more than 26,000 children and families facing adversity.
Murray makes his coaching debut in Melbourne next week, and the signs are already positive after Djokovic secured a hard fought practice set victory against Carlos Alcaraz in the duo’s first session together.