CNN
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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray faced each other 36 times throughout their tennis careers, mostly in finals and often at the sharp end of grand slam tournaments. But at this year’s Australian Open, their decades-long rivalry has taken an unexpected turn.

In his ongoing pursuit of a record-breaking 25th major title, Djokovic has enlisted Murray, recently retired but not prepared to walk away from tennis entirely, as part of his coaching team.

It was an arresting sight for tennis fans when the pair first appeared in Melbourne together this week, Djokovic striking balls in practice and Murray looking on with hawk-like attention. But might this unusual player-coach partnership make sense?

“It’s in search of perfection that Novak Djokovic, I think, hires Andy Murray,” seven-time grand slam champion and Eurosport expert Mats Wilander told CNN Sport.

“We mustn’t think that he’s going to be five percent better because of Andy Murray … We’re talking about one or two points here and there,” Wilander added. “Murray might have some valuable information that Novak hasn’t thought about before, and that could be the difference between him winning his 25th grand slam title or not.”

Currently tied with Australian Margaret Court at the top of the all-time list, Djokovic was expected to become tennis’ outright grand slam singles leader with one more title last year. But despite adding an Olympic gold medal to his trophy cabinet, he went the whole season without winning a major crown for the first time since 2017, falling short against Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

At the upcoming Australian Open, a tournament he has won a record 10 times before, Djokovic resumes his quest for tennis history.

Four months out from his 38th birthday, he would comfortably be the oldest grand slam singles champion in the Open era should he triumph in Melbourne, though we have seen many times how the Serbian star can bend and flex his body in ways that defy his advancing years.

These days, rather than play a full schedule, Djokovic tends to target a handful of tournaments in order to preserve his fitness and prolong his career. Such an approach means that his ranking has suffered, and he enters the Australian Open as the seventh seed with a tricky draw in front of him.

Four-time grand slam champion Alcaraz could be Djokovic’s opponent as soon as the quarterfinal, perhaps the latest instalment in what has become an intriguing rivalry.

“He needs a bit of luck,” Saša Ozmo, a journalist for Sportklub who has covered Djokovic’s career extensively, told CNN Sport prior to the draw. “But I think if it can open just a bit for him and if he can get into the groove, slowly but surely, I’d say he’s among the favorites. Not the top favorite, but among the favorites.”

Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 and defending Australian Open champion, enters the men’s draw as the player to beat. He won his first grand slam title in Melbourne last year, then ended 2024 with victories at the US Open and the ATP Finals to cement his place at the top of the rankings.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, could become the youngest player to achieve a career grand slam – needing only the Australian Open to complete a sweep of the majors four months before his 22nd birthday – and second seed Alexander Zverev continues to chase a first grand slam title after a strong season last year.

But no one will be discounting Djokovic from triumphing once more at his favored event, even after he was surprisingly beaten in straight sets by Reilly Opelka at the Brisbane International last week.

In former world No. 1 and three-time grand slam champion Murray, he not only has a coach who is familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the world’s top players, but also a friend and rival helping him to raise his game.

“I think that motivation is a big thing,” veteran coach Brad Gilbert told CNN’s Don Riddell earlier this week. “Having that motivation to want to go to practice and want to work hard for somebody, that will help. And I think that’s one thing that Andy can provide.”

Djokovic himself has said how he “caught (Murray) a little bit off guard” with the coaching offer, but remains confident that the unlikely collaboration will bear fruit.

“Being on the same side of the net is actually great for a change,” he explained last month. “He’s been one of my greatest rivals and, in a way, it was strange for me to share all these insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I’m going through, what I’m thinking about, how I see my game with somebody that has been always one of the top rivals.

“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 and 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 their weaknesses and strengths in their games. I look forward to it, I really do.”

It’s a surreal twist of fate to see Murray and Djokovic hitting together on practice courts at the Australian Open, 14 years after they first faced each other in a major final at the same tournament.

It was Djokovic who triumphed on that occasion, claiming his second grand slam crown in Melbourne. Few could have predicted what would follow: eight further Australian Open titles, a record 428 weeks at the top of the rankings, and a career like none we have seen before.

In virtually every category for men’s tennis – grand slams, Masters titles, time spent as world No. 1 – Djokovic is unmatched. With nothing left to prove, he still feels compelled to accomplish more, to extend further the boundaries of what it is possible to achieve in a single career.

“To be honest, I don’t really see what the 25th title would change,” said Ozmo, adding: “For me, undoubtedly, he’s the greatest of all time. I think even people who used to say, ‘It’s a fight, it’s close’ – they’re giving up too.

“He’s just making up goals now and he’s setting up new goals just to try to keep himself motivated.”

For Wilander, the debate about the greatest of all time is purely a matter of taste and semantics; but when it boils down to results – the player who has achieved the most on the court – in his mind there is no debate left to be had.

“The greatest could be Roger Federer, it could be Björn Borg, it could be anyone, but the best of all time is Novak Djokovic, that’s for sure,” said Wilander. “There is no question in anybody’s mind that he is the best ever.”

The next two weeks in Melbourne are another opportunity to find out what this extraordinary athlete can still achieve.