Andy Murray faced 'intimidating' task with Novak Djokovic before split - EXCLUSIVE

Tennis icon Chris Evert has claimed that coaching would have been an "intimidating" task for Andy Murray. The pair , having previously hinted that their partnership would continue indefinitely and was set to last during the French Open and Wimbledon.

Evert was also taken by surprise when they parted ways, but she told that the Brit wouldn't have been able to give the 24-time Grand Slam champion everything he needed. And she now believes Djokovic could be heading towards retirement.

Murray and Djokovic were the player-coach partnership that rocked the tennis world. Many thought it was a joke when the Brit announced he would start mentoring one of his biggest rivals just four months after ending his own playing career.

He joined Djokovic at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid. They had previously discussed working together at the upcoming French Open, but they decided to part ways last week.

Evert has now told Express Sport that Murray likely didn't have the "edge" needed to coach Djokovic, explaining just how difficult it would be to work with someone who has achieved everything in the sport.

"Who knows what went on with those two, you know? I'm certainly not on the inside, so I don't even know. I wasn't in the room when they would have these discussions or what they talked about strategy-wise," the 18-time Grand Slam winner said.

"But I think, how do you coach Novak, the greatest player of all time? How do you coach him? I think it's a very... intimidating job to be a coach of Novak Djokovic. And I don't know if Andy could give him the edge he needed.

"I think Mother Time or Father Time or whatever they call it, that's not on Novak's side. And I personally think he's played his best tennis."

Although Evert thinks splitting with Murray may have been the right call for Djokovic, she's uncertain about his future.

The former No. 1 knows exactly what it's like to win more Majors after being written off in the latter stages of her career. But she's still doubtful that Djokovic can do it in Paris

Evert, who will be part of TNT Sports' French Open coverage, continued: "Because of that experience, I would never count Novak out to win another Major. My feeling is that he'd be better on the hard courts. He has a better hard-court record, better at Wimbledon. The French, I think, is his weakest Grand Slam."

Djokovic turns 38 this week, and Evert says he could be close to retirement as it becomes increasingly difficult to produce elite tennis in every single match. "It's tough to say goodbye, and it's tough to retire, but you know, I personally feel it's heading that way this year," she added.

"It's so hard. You don't want to say, 'No, you shouldn't be playing' this and that, because it's such a personal decision.

"But I will say I think he's played his best tennis, and that's not to say he can still play that miracle, that epic match again, but on a day-to-day basis, that's what you lose when you play 20 years on the tour.

"You just can't be 100 per cent, and you can't have your A-game every single day, and that's what you lose. I think there are too many good players that can get him on an off day."

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