No losers here! Fans finally witnessed the thrilling partnership of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray on the court on Monday. But that wasn’t the only first, Nishesh Basavareddy was also making his first appearance at this tournament as well. One would expect Novak to breeze through the tournament, but when he lost the first set to the rookie, it left the arena in shock. However, Djokovic rallied to secure victory in the end. Insiders agree that this thrilling encounter felt like a win for everyone involved—a promising start for both players and their new collaboration!

The energy at Rod Laver Arena was electrifying. With steely determination, Djokovic secured the win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the second round. The Serb has seen many opponents in his time, but rarely has he seen a newbie take him down so quickly. Despite the initial shock, he praised him in the post-match interview, saying, “Just a very complete player, pleasantly surprised with all of his shots.”

On Monday, Wertheim shared his delight on the ‘Served’ podcast with Andy Roddick. Expressing surprise at how the match unfolded, he even had a funny name for the Djokovic-Murray partnership: “Djokerray.” However, noting that momentarily the chances of success seemed slim initially, he said, “This kid complained he won the first set over Novak Djokovic, and for about an hour there people were thinking, ‘Wait a second is this an absolute colossal upset we have on our hands?’ It was not. We regressed to the mean and the 24-time major champion played like, you know, a 24-time major champion.”

He added, “It was one of those matches where everyone wins. Novak advances, Andy Murray has a successful coaching debut, and Basavareddy now goes to the next event with the confidence that he really belongs—winning matches and taking a set off the great Novak Djokovic on one of tennis’s biggest stages.”

And he’s got a point, the 19-year-old began his season by reaching the 2025 Auckland semifinals, and now with that one set over the GOAT, he could be a player to watch. On the other hand, Djokovic is eager to secure his next title after finishing the 2024 season winless for the first time since 2005. The Australian Open offers a chance for his 25th Grand Slam title with Murray as coach. While Briton’s debut as a coach was successful, his coaching experience is still a work in progress. However, in the end, he believes a mindset shift is needed when facing top competitors for both of them.

Murray has faith that Novak can clinch more titles and Grand Slams

After announcing their partnership in November, Andy Murray expressed excitement about coaching Novak Djokovic, believing he has a legitimate claim to be the greatest athlete of all time. Following Djokovic’s first-round victory over Nishesh Basavareddy, Murray stated, “These next couple of years, I think he maybe already has a legitimate claim to be the best athlete of all time. He also added if Djokovic can win more Grand Slams at 38 or 39 years old, it would strengthen that claim.

Murray missed Djokovic’s first tournament of this season at the Brisbane International due to a skiing trip but is now present at the Australian Open. Reflecting on his new role, in a conversation with Sky Sports, he said, “It’s obviously been fascinating and interesting. There are some things that have been surprising, but I expected him to be an extremely hard worker, very intense, and always keen to learn.” The Brit, however, noted that he found coaching Novak “demanding” at times.

However, Andy may have forgotten that a “drama-free” experience with Djokovic is unlikely. As Djokovic himself remarked at the French Open two years ago: “A drama-free Grand Slam, I don’t think it will happen for me.” Despite the challenges, both are eager to navigate this new chapter together as they aim for success on one of tennis’s biggest stages.