Britain's Andy Murray and Serbia's Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic said he expects coach Andy Murray to be an asset. | AFP
Image: Glyn KIRK / AFP
The prestigious Monte Carlo Masters is off to a shaky start, with the recurring theme of top seeds, some of whom reside in the principality, crashing out early, coupled, with the revolving door issue, with respective coaches.
First to be felled was World No 2, Alexander Zverev, “who loves playing at home”, but didn’t enjoy losing in front of a top heavy Italian crowd, to 2023 Wimbledon Finalist, Matteo Berretini, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5: When asked what was troubling him, the German cryptically replied: “ I lost three sets in Buenos Aires, three in Rio, three in Indian Wells, three in Miami and three here, so that’s the matter...”
What he means is, he’s failed to go beyond the Quarters of any tournament, since the Australian Open- or pick up a Major title.
The feeling is, he needs someone, who’s actually won a Major, to get him over the line, over and above primary coach, Dad.
That said, experimenting with celebrity coaches earlier in his career, namely former No 1s, Ivan Lendl and Juan Carlos Ferrero, and more recently David Ferrer, didn't pay dividends at the time.
Defending champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas however, who post dismissing his father, Apostolos, as coach in a very public spat, at the 2024 Canadian Open, suffered a plummeting loss in form, until regaining former glory at this year’s Dubai Masters.
The Greek is off to a flying start on clay and more interestingly with Apostolos, for the first time since Montreal, sitting courtside in the coaching box. It remains to be seen if in an official capacity or not.
Meanwhile the plot thickens on GOAT, Novak Djokovic’s inclusion of former rival, Andy Murray, into his coaching team.
One couldn’t see the benefit from the onset. Djokovic has beaten Murray in the majority of their clashes on Tour. They are both entrenched baseliners; the only real gap in the Serb’s game, if any, is his discomfort at net, especially in this burgeoning age of volleyers.
Murray has flown home, post Djokovic’s loss to one of those Next Gen aces, Jacob Mensik, in the Miami Final. The Scot would’ve been relieved not to witness Djokovic crashing out 6-3, 6-4 in his first round, on clay, to another youngster, Alejandro Tabilo and the Serbian wasn’t the only top seed and baseliner to be trashed by someone faster, fitter and with better volleying skills.
Former champion, Andrey Rublev was trounced by French teenager, Arthur Fils, 6-2,6-3, Fils being the only player to have reached the Last-Eight, in all three Masters 1000 in 2025.
Australian Alexei Popyrin upset 2023 French Open Finalist, Casper Ruud,6-3,3-6,7-5, as did his compatriot, Alex De Minaur, dismantle former No 1, Daniil Medvedev, another Monegasque, looking out of sorts on home turf.
Lorenzo Musetti reached a career high ranking and the Quarters, in raining on fellow Italian Berretini’s parade and comfortably defeating him 6-3,6-3. The last veteran in the Last-Eight lineup is Bulgarian No 1, Grigor Dimitrov, who upended Tabilo, the giantslayer, in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. First of the Next Gen stars to be rolled over, was Indian Wells Champion, Jack Draper, 6-3, 6-7(6),6-4, by Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Fokina aptly described the match as “a rollercoaster with my mind”. Not the only competitor, whose mind is in free-fall at this event, particularly the Teflon coated ones of Djokovic and Zverev, who are at a loss to identify the sudden vertical dip in their games.
A better motivator than Murray or Daddy Zverev will be needed to get them fighting against “the dying of the light”.
As for World No 3, Carlos Alcaraz, without Coach Ferrero, present, will back up, Samuel Lopez, be sufficient to keep the French Open champion on track to win his first Monte Carlo title?
