Djokovic: At his happy hunting ground, with an old foe in tow

The Serbian has worked with Becker, Agassi and Ivanisevic. In Murray he has access to the mind of a master tactician

- Shahid Judge

MUMBAI: With trembling hands Novak Djokovic touched the fabled red dirt of Court Philippe Chatrier. In his rich list of accomplishments, the only thing pending had now been accomplished. He was, finally, an Olympic champion.

It was the last piece of the puzzle for a player who really had nothing more to prove. He was a 24-time Grand Slam singles champion - the joint-record holder for most singles Slams with Margaret Court. He had spent 428 weeks as the world No. 1 - more than any other singles player. And in August, at the Paris Olympic Games, he won the only title he had never won before.

Djokovic has long made it clear that he is driven by records. The 2024 season was the first time since 2017 that he had failed to win a Grand Slam title. There was a gap. And as the focus shifts to 2025, in one of his fiercest rivals on tour, he has found the missing piece. A new coach, Andy Murray.

At the Australian Open next week, the tennis world will see arguably the most intriguing player-coach combination there has been. Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 himself, will be sitting in the Djokovic box willing the man just a week younger than him to rediscover the form that saw him become the greatest Grand Slam player in the Open Era.