Andy Murray is gearing up for a Grand Slam and his return to tennis - but not as a player.

The two-time former Wimbledon champion will be in the coaching box of great rival Novak Djokovic at January's Australian Open, which begins on Sunday. Djokovic's announcement that Murray would be working with him Down Under caused shock across the sporting world when it was announced on social media in November.

The pair faced each other 36 times in total during their playing career with Djokovic leading the head-to-head 25–11 overall and 11–8 in finals. Murray went on to retire from professional tennis at last year's Olympics in Paris, losing out in the men's doubles quarter-finals alongside Birmingham-born Dan Evans.

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But now the Scotsman will begin his first job in coaching as he looks to help Djokovic win a record 25th Grand Slam singles title and an 11th Aussie Open crown in Melbourne. The Serb will face Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round on Monday (around 8am UK time).

So how did this surprise coaching relationship come about? BirminghamLive has taken a look below...

Golf course chat

Murray revealed that the partnership came about after the pair spoke on the phone, with the Scot quizzed about coaching whilst playing golf moments earlier.

"I was playing golf, and we'd been exchanging messages. Novak had messaged me, just wanting to chat," he explained, via BBC Sport.

"Then I was on the 17th hole of the golf course and the guy I was playing with said: 'Do you know what's next?'. I was like: 'No, not really'.

"He said: 'Do you have any plans to do any coaching?' And I said, 'Honestly, I can't think of anything worse to do right now'.

"Then 30 minutes later, I was in the car and called Novak, and we had a conversation. It made sense to trial it and see if it works. And then we said we'd make a more definitive decision after the tournament," said Murray.

Australian Open 'sabotage'

Murray jokingly stated he joined Djokovic's team to sabotage his chances of winning another Australian Open. The pair faced off in four Aussie Open finals between 2011 and 2016, with the Serb winning each one.

"I played here a few times, could never quite get over the line unfortunately," said Murray at a charity event, before pointing at Djokovic and adding: "This man is single-handedly responsible for that. I'm now here to try and sabotage his chances of winning another one."

Murray net worth

Murray has accumulated extraordinary personal wealth from his player career. The former World No 1 banked over £50million in prize money alone during his distinguished career.

His winnings are supplemented by his considerable earnings through endorsement deals and sponsorship partnerships, collaborating with big brands like Jaguar, Castore, Under Armour and Head. Over time, he's also partnered with other major brands such as Amazon Prime Video, Standard Life and American Express.

Celebrity Net Worth estimates that these deals and winnings have contributed to a net worth of around £85m. However, some sources suggest it could be closer to £100m.