Andy Murray says he could help Novak Djokovic be ‘best athlete of all time’ ahead of Australian Open

Andy Murray has said he thinks his coaching could help Novak Djokovic cement his claim as “the best athlete of all time”.

Murray, 37, who joined his former great rival’s coaching team last November, months after retiring from playing, admitted the change of dynamic was “strange” at first.

The two-time Wimbledon champion will get his first taste of life on the other side during a match when the Serbian star, also 37, takes on 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.

Djokovic, a 10-time Melbourne champion, is in the unfamiliar position of seventh seed after failing to win a grand slam title in 2024 for the first time in seven years.

But the 24-time grand slam champion did win an emotional Olympic gold medal in Paris to claim a title he had been chasing his entire career after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Murray, who won back-to-back gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 games, said he felt “there was at times a little bit missing” when watching some of Djokovic’s matches last year.

“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 said.

“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 next couple of years, I think he maybe already has a legitimate claim to be the best 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.”

Murray, who faced Djokovic 36 times from 2006 to 2022 and lost 25, is currently only contracted to coach his former rival until the end of the Australian Open.

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The Scot said he has gained new insights into the different demands of coaching that he was not aware of as a player.

Murray said 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 think the first couple of days it was a bit strange, and it was a bit different. But both of us have been trying to encourage that communication, and try and build that trust.

“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 tournament as torrential rain left walkways looking like rivers.

Less than an hour of play was possible on the outside courts on the first morning but matches were able to continue on the three covered courts.

Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, the fifth seed and runner-up in last year’s women’s singles, safely reached round two, beating Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni, as she opened proceedings on Rod Laver Arena.