What's next for the Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray player-coach partnership?

The abrupt ending to Novak Djokovic's semifinal match against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open on Friday opened up a Pandora's box of questions for the former world No. 1 in his post-match press conference: How long will a confirmed muscle tear, which forced him to retire against Zverev after just one set, keep him on the sidelines? Did he think he just played in his last Australian Open? And what's next for his player-coach relationship with former rival Andy Murray?

But Djokovic ultimately wasn't ready to comment on the nature of Murray's future in his team, citing the "disappointment" that both felt as a result of his injured-shortened effort. Earlier in the tournament, the Serb hailed Murray as "as committed to my career and this tournament as he can be," and that their connection was growing deeper every day.

Read more: Djokovic says his Australian Open win over Alcaraz was just as 'huge' for Murray

"I'll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step," Djokovic said.

"We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it's kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. You know, I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we'll have a chat."

Murray also told a small group of reporters, including Charlie Eccleshare at *The Athletic*, that he and Djokovic had previously agreed to discuss their future after the tournament. Sympathizing with his one-time rival's plight, the Scot was also deferential to the work that Djokovic's broader support staff during his weeks-long stint, and was loath to take undue credit for Djokovic's vintage win over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

Read more: Failing to win another Australian Open injured just makes Novak Djokovic a little more mortal

“I feel like they’ve been a great team,” Murray said of Djokovic and his entourage, per Eccleshare's report. “At times it feels a little bit embarrassing that because of my relationship with Novak, how much people talk about that or when there’s a good result or a good performance that it’s because I’ve helped him. I’m fully aware that the team that is with him has done an incredible job over many, many years to allow him to still be competing at this level at the age that he’s at."

"They’ve all been really, really helpful to me. They really welcomed me into the team. It’s been great to be a part of," he added. "I’ve certainly learned a lot but there’s a lot more still for me to learn, that’s for sure.”