Andy Murray has mentioned he thinks his teaching might assist Novak Djokovic cement his declare as “the best athlete of all time”.
Murray, 37, who joined his former nice rival’s teaching staff final November, months after retiring from enjoying, admitted the change of dynamic was “strange” at first.
The 2-time Wimbledon champion will get his first style of life on the opposite facet throughout a match when the Serbian star, additionally 37, takes on 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy within the first spherical of the Australian Open on Monday.
Djokovic, a 10-time Melbourne champion, is within the unfamiliar place of seventh seed after failing to win a grand slam title in 2024 for the primary time in seven years.
However the 24-time grand slam champion did win an emotional Olympic gold medal in Paris to assert a title he had been chasing his whole profession after beating Carlos Alcaraz within the last.
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Novak Djokovic coaching with coach Andy Murray in Melbourne Park on Thursday. Pic: Reuters
Murray, who received back-to-back gold medals on the 2012 and 2016 video games, mentioned he felt “there was at times a little bit missing” when watching a few of Djokovic’s matches final 12 months.
“He achieved the last thing that he felt like he needed to at the Olympics. So for me and his team, it’s about trying to find that motivation to keep going and pushing for more,” he mentioned.
“Novak has in the last few years cemented himself as the best tennis player of all time, certainly of his generation, with the records that he’s achieved.
“These subsequent couple of years, I feel he perhaps already has a reliable declare to be the perfect athlete of all time.
“But I think, if he can go out as a 38, 39-year-old and win more slams and beat Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner in big matches, he’s got a claim to be the best athlete of all time, and I think that’s exciting for me and his team to be part of that.”
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Thunderstorms left spectators scurrying for canopy. Pic: Reuters
Murray, who confronted Djokovic 36 instances from 2006 to 2022 and misplaced 25, is at the moment solely contracted to educate his former rival till the tip of the Australian Open.
The Scot mentioned he has gained new insights into the completely different calls for of teaching that he was not conscious of as a participant.
Murray mentioned of Djokovic: “He’s been unbelievably open, and the communication when we’ve been on court with each other and away from the court has been really, really good.
“I feel the primary couple of days it was a bit unusual, and it was a bit completely different. However each of us have been making an attempt to encourage that communication, and attempt to construct that belief.
“And with frustrations on court and stuff. I totally understand that side of things for him. I’m here to try and help him as best as I can.”
Thunderstorms lashed Melbourne Park on the opening day of the event as torrential rain left walkways wanting like rivers.
Lower than an hour of play was potential on the surface courts on the primary morning however matches had been capable of proceed on the three coated courts.
Chinese language star Zheng Qinwen, the fifth seed and runner-up in final 12 months’s ladies’s singles, safely reached spherical two, beating Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni, as she opened proceedings on Rod Laver Enviornment.
