Murray joined Djokovic’s coaching staff ahead of the 2025 season, working together for the first time in Melbourne.

Under his new coach, Djokovic reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, losing out to Alexander Zverev, having picked up an injury in his previous match.

Djokovic then lost to Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Qatar Open, a competition his coach Murray chose not to attend.

Murray and Djokovic will reunite for Indian Wells next month, as the Serb searches for a first tour-level title since winning the ATP Finals in 2023.

The pair have spoken at length as to how the matches they played against one another have helped their coaching relationship develop.

One match may stand out above the rest, as Djokovic and Murray produced a memorable clash in Shanghai, 13 years ago.

Novak Djokovic saved five championship points to beat Andy Murray in the 2012 Shanghai Masters final

The penultimate Masters 1000 tournament of the 2012 season was an instant classic, as the top four seeds advanced to the semi-finals in China.

Quarter-finals

• [1] Roger Federer beat [10] Marin Cilic
• [3] Andy Murray beat Radek Stepanek
• [4] Tomas Berdych beat [5] Jo Wilfried Tsonga
• [2] Novak Djokovic beat Tommy Haas

Semi-finals

• [3] Andy Murray beat [1] Roger Federer
• [2] Novak Djokovic beat [4] Tomas Berdych

It was Murray and Djokovic who advanced to the final, meeting for the sixth time that year.

The 2012 Shanghai Masters final was a match played at the very highest level from the first point to the last, as the Serb and Brit put on a true tennis clinic.

Djokovic secured an early break in the first set before Murray battled back as momentum swung back and forth.

The pair exchanged breaks before Murray broke Djokovic one more time at 5-5, prompting the Serb to smash his racket.

Murray then consolidated his break, sealing the first set 7-5, putting him on the brink of a third consecutive title in Shanghai.

The pair continued to impress in the second set, as both players held serve before Murray again secured a late break, at 3-3.

At 7-5, 5-4, 30-0, Murray and Djokovic played out one of the greatest points in Masters 1000 history, as the Serb pulled off an audacious drop shot that had the Shanghai crowd on their feet.

“Novak Djokovic, what are you doing? That is outrageous,” said commentator Robbie Koenig.

A championship point soon went missing for Murray, as the Serb came forward hitting a forehand winner to stay in the match.

Djokovic then broke back, leveling things up at 5-5 before the second set quickly headed to a tiebreak.

A breath-taking point from Murray at 5-4 in the tiebreaker gave him two more championship points, that he was desperate to take advantage of.

As had been the case so many times in his career, Djokovic’s level rose to the occasion, ‘painting the lines’ as he saved a further three match points.

Fighting back from the brink, Djokovic clinched the second set 7-6 [13-11], as it was Murray’s turn to smash his racket.

The level remained high heading into the deciding set before Djokovic broke Murray, taking the initiative, at 4-3.

Winning his next service game, the Serb then attacked Murray’s serve once more, breaking him one final time to finish one of his most miraculous comebacks, 5-7, 7-6 [13-11], 6-3.

Djokovic had saved five championship points, as he lifted the trophy in Shanghai for the first time in his career.

Murray was unsurprisingly disappointed after the match, but was confident that he’d recover well from a tough defeat.

“I said yesterday jokingly, but when you talk so much about serving matches out, going on and on about it, it’s bound to happen at some stage,” he said.

“Yeah, it was a disappointing one to lose.

“I’ve lost tougher matches than that before in the biggest events, so I’m sure I’ll recover from it pretty well.”

Who won the head-to-head between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in 2012?

Murray and Djokovic’s Shanghai classic was their sixth meeting of 2012, as Djokovic’s win leveled the head-to-head up at three a piece.

The pair faced off one final time in London, at the year-end ATP Finals, as Djokovic and Murray were placed in the same group.

This time just two points from defeat, Djokovic pulled off another crazy comeback to deny the Brit, winning in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Twice in as many months, Djokovic had beaten Murray in the most dramatic of circumstances, as he won the ‘2012 head-to-head’, 4-3.

Of their next 19 matches on the ATP Tour, Murray won just four, as the player he now coaches began to dominate their rivalry.

Murray will return to Djokovic’s coaching team for the Indian Wells Masters 1000 event in California, which begins on March 3.