Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have started their on-court preparations at the Australian Open ahead of the Serbian’s bid for a 25th grand slam title this month.
Djokovic has said former rival Murray will bring a “fresh look” and “unique perspective” as his coach as he seeks to win a record-exending 11th Australian Open.
Murray, who retired after last summer’s Olympics, was seen with a racket in hand as Djokovic underwent practice drills at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old travelled to Australia after Christmas, with Djokovic opening his campaign by playing at the Brisbane International.
Murray made the shock decision to join Djokovic’s team in November and spent 10 days working with him during the off-season.
Djokovic told the ATP website last month that Murray had him impressed with his “meticulous” and “dedicated” approach to coaching.
“In a way it was strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I’m going through,” Djokovic said.
“But I’m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me here in Australia. The 10 days that we spent together were terrific. I enjoyed every bit of it.
“He has a unique perspective on my game as one of the greatest rivals that I’ve had. He knows the pros and cons of my game.
“ He has also played up to recently on the tour, so he knows all the other best players currently in the world, the youngsters and the weaknesses and strengths in their game.”
Djokovic is set to be seeded seventh for the Australian Open draw on Thursday, with World No 1 Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev all potential quarter-final opponents.
The Serbian was stunned by Reilly Opelka in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International – where he also played doubles with Nick Kyrgios.
After arriving back in Melbourne, Djokovic also revealed he still feels “trauma” when landing years after he was deported from Australia due to not being vaccinated against coronavirus.
The Serbian arrived in 2022 to play the Australian Open without the vaccine for Covid-19, which led to the 24-time grand slam men’s singles champion being detained in an immigration hotel.
Djokovic was then sent home after his visa was cancelled by the immigration minister, who decided his presence could stoke anti-vaccine sentiment.
