At Qatar Grand Prix, Novak Djokovic reveals how the decision to hire Andy Murray as his coach happened

Novak Djokovic's visit to the Qatar Grand Prix in Doha this weekend made headlines made headlines not for his star-studded interactions on the track, nor a newly-announced sponsorship, but for revealing how his recent decision to hire Andy Murray as a coach came about.

The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion had a whirlwind weekend in Doha, visiting the Ferrari and McLaren garages, chatting with Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, and announcing a new partnership with Qatar Airways, but it was a clip from an interview with Sky News will resonate with sports fans the most.

In it, Djokovic explained his decision to hire his one-time rival as a coach at least through the 2025 Australian Open.

The former world No. 1, now 37 years old, confessed he took about "six months" after splitting with longtime coach Goran Ivanesevic to "think about if I need a coach and, if yes, who that's going to be and the profile of the coach."

"We were going through different names, and I realized that the perfect coach for me at this point would be somebody who has been through the same experiences I'm going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner, a former world No. 1," he continued.

Read more: Novak Djokovic x Andy Murray: Does this coaching pairing of former rivals make sense?

That led Djokovic and his team to Murray, who retired from tennis officially after the Paris Olympics this summer.

"I thought, 'OK, I'm going to give him a call and see how it goes.' It caught him a little bit off guard as well because he wasn't expecting it," Djokovic said.

Djokovic added that he "can't be more excited about" working with Murray on the same side of the net.

"This collaboration is a surprise to me, as well as everybody, but it's exciting for tennis," he said. "He's been one of my greatest rivals. We're the same age, we've played in the biggest stadiums in our sport, and I can't wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season."

But before setting his sights on preseason and the 2025 Australian Open, which begins on Jan. 12, Djokovic will travel to Buenos Aires for an exhibition match with Juan Martin del Potro that the 2009 US Open champion is hoping will serve as a long-awaited "goodbye" to the sport on his terms.