Friends reunited: How Andy Murray-Novak Djokovic relationship was soured by battle to be the best
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Updated 02/02/2016 at 15:16 GMT
As Andy Murray prepares to take on Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, Alex Dimond examines how the strain of tennis’s pre-eminent rivalry threatened their friendship.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in 2009
Image credit: Reuters
Andy Murray will face Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open on Sunday – the fourth time they have met each other in such situations in Melbourne, and the sixth time they have contested a grand slam final in their careers to date.
The No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world, it is perhaps about time to accept that this is now tennis’s pre-eminent rivalry, that the Scot is the dominant Serbian’s main challenger and that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, once the two behemoths bestriding the sport themselves, are now fighting to make up ground on their rivals.
The rivalry between Djokovic and Murray is particularly intriguing, considering the pair are surely among each other's oldest friends – striking up a firm rapport after meeting before they were even teenagers at a tennis tournament in France.
Simultaneously supporters and antagonists for each other as they pursued their dream of reaching the top of the professional ranks, the pair are undoubtedly now there – but at what cost? Like many stars before them, has the heat of battle fractured a burgeoning, valuable friendship beyond any hope of repair?
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Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic after the 2013 Wimbledon final (REUTERS)
Image credit: Eurosport
THE BEGINNING
As they both made their first, tentative steps towards a career in tennis, it is perhaps unsurprising that Murray and Djokovic would strike up something of a rapport after they first crossed paths. Both would eventually leave comfortable family surroundings to pursue sporting excellence – Murray leaving Dunblane for a tennis academy in Spain, Djokovic doing likewise in leaving Serbia for Munich, Germany – and would soon cross paths frequently, as the pair quickly became stars of their age group.
The two player first met as 11 year-olds, in an Under-12 tournament in France.
“In our first match, Andy destroyed me,” a laughing Djokovic once recalled. “He had a lot of hair, a lot of curly hair. He was also quite pale.”
But there was another junior, just a year older, that was the talk of the town: “Even then, we all knew that [Rafael] Nadal was winning everything he played. He was a wunderkind.”
The lop-sided nature of that first clash (it finished 6-0 6-1) does not seem to have influenced their off-court relationship, however. The pair quickly became friends, something perhaps aided by their similar experiences in their lives to date – and the sacrifices that meant other friendships, with kids their own age without such a singular focus, had perhaps been harder to form.
It is perhaps not hard to see why Murray, a sometimes dour man in public but by all accounts extremely sharp and humorous among friends, would be attracted to Djokovic – whose penchant for impersonating other players and playing practical jokes would become a polarising aspect of his personality once he emerged on the ATP Tour.
“Joking around is part of my personality, just who I am,” the man once known as 'the Djoker' has said. “I have been impersonating players since I was seven years old! I like to make people laugh, to bring joy.”
Similarly Djokovic probably gravitated towards Murray for his sheer excellence at tennis – Djokovic from an early age decided he wanted to make his name in the sport, and Murray was for a large part of their teenage years the yardstick with which to measure himself (a result of relentlessly trying to keep up with his talented older brother, Jamie).
They would push each other to improve, but equally they would stand as rare individuals who could offer some insight and advice on the unique pressures they were dealing with. Their paths may have crossed relatively infrequently, but they grew to enjoy each other’s company when the chance arose.
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Andy Murray in his first US Open appearance in 2005
Image credit: Reuters
THE JUNIOR YEARS
Born just a week apart, the two progressed through the ranks with unsurprising symmetry, although it was initially Murray – the older man by a matter of days – who made the running. As a junior he would claim glory at the US Open in 2004, whereas Djokovic would never quite crest that wave, losing in the final of the Australian Open in his only such appearance.
While the Serbian would win the European title as a 14-year-old, he would never be ranked higher than 34th in the world at junior level, whereas Murray would top out at No. 6 (and No. 2, according to the ITF, in combined singles and doubles).
That perhaps says more about the vagaries and inherent randomness of junior competition however, and the fact Djokovic turned his sights to the senior ranks earlier than the Scot – the Serbian playing (and winning) Challenger and Futures events while Murray was still preparing for his Flushing Meadows success.
With both men into the professional ranks by 2005, it was Djokovic who always maintained the edge. He was the first to play in a grand slam – beating Stanislas Wawrinka in qualifying to reach the first round of the 2005 Australian Open – and went on to play in all four such events that year, matching Murray’s third round run at Wimbledon (the result of wildcard) and repeating the feat at the US Open (Murray would only reach the second round).
Djokovic was always just one step ahead of Murray – he broke into the top 100 three months before his friend, and then became a top 10 player in March 2007, a month before Murray would join him.
They remained more friends than rivals, however, with their position in the pack of tennis’s hierarchy affording them a certain protection from the hostility of final competition. It was Nadal, along with the brilliant Roger Federer, who remained the kings of the sport – the rivalry between those two dwarfing anything else around them.
Only when the two youngsters started challenging that duopoly – Djokovic, naturally, coming first – did the dynamics start to change, but along the way they tried to help each other wherever possible.
"We do talk about matches and, of course, we do get to chat [about how to beat other players] like this every now and then," Djokovic said. "We might talk about it at practice, but it would more usually be in the locker room or a restaurant, when we're watching matches and just talking it through.”
THE PROFESSIONAL CHANGES
There can be little argument that Djokovic adjusted to the professional ranks quicker than his old friend – he reached the semi-finals of the 2007 French Open in what was just his 10th grand slam appearance, and would make the final of the US Open later that year.
He would break through at the Australian Open the following January, although it was not until 2011 – when he reeled off three of the year’s four majors – that he would really gatecrash the Federer-Nadal axis of dominance.
Murray, in contrast, took until the 2008 US Open to reach a grand slam semi (he would then make the final), and famously only ended Britain’s grand slam drought in the 2012 US Open – by which point Djokovic was already a five-time grand slam champion.
While Murray savoured his first taste of success, Djokovic had already been given an insight into how personal relationships can be changed by the pressure of grand slam pressure. Federer in particular seemed to grate at the Serbian’s sudden arrival, although (publicly at least) not so much by the fact it was happening but rather the way it was happening.
Djokovic earned stern criticism from rival players who believed he played up injury issues at crucial times in matches to disrupt the momentum, while his reputation as ‘the Djoker’ - and those incessant impressions - did not appeal to everyone.
"You know I don't trust his injuries ... I mean I'm serious, and I think that he's a joke when he comes down to these injuries,” Federer said after beating Djokovic in a Davis Cup tie in 2008.
“The rules are there to be used but not abused and that's what he's been doing many times. That’s why I wasn't happy to see him doing that and then running around like a rabbit again. Yeah it was a good handshake for me. I was happy to beat him."
Djokovic’s father, another controversial presence in his son’s early years on tour for the in-your-face manner of some of his support, did not take that lying down.
"Federer is perhaps still the best tennis player in history, but as a man he's the opposite," Djokovic Sr. said. "He realised that he (Djokovic) was his successor and was trying to discredit him in every way."
Djokovic’s subsequent achievements have perhaps only made such a statement seem more viable. The two have been more cordial in the aftermath of their recent meetings – most recently Thursday’s Australian Open semi-final – but the sense remains that the enmity still exists, just left unspoken as neither well-endorsed player wants to sully their image with an unedifying spat.
Djokovic’s coach, Boris Becker, nevertheless offered a clear hint of such a situation when he wrote in his latest autobiography that the exhibited friendships among the top players were “fake”.
When Murray embarked on a 12-month run that saw him win the Olympics (against Federer), the US Open (against Djokovic) and then Wimbledon (against Djokovic), he suddenly made the awkward three-man tango a four-man stand-off.
“So much of tennis is mental strength and I believe the Olympic win has brought Andy that,” a generous Djokovic said after the third of those wins. “I think he will use it as a springboard to now go and win majors.
“I can’t be friends with Andy, though. I really like the guy — but how can you go and be best friends with a guy who you know you are going to be doing battle with?”
It was the price, if you can call it that, of Murray finally reaching the place he always wanted to be. Murray and Djokovic struck up a brief doubles partnership in 2011, months after Murray’s mother had congratulated Djokovic on beating her son in the final in Australia (“That shows something not just about her but about her whole family," Djokovic said), but barely a year later such a prospect was unthinkable.
“It is true for myself, Roger, Rafa and now Andy,” his old pal added. “We like each other and there is mutual respect but common sense tells you we can’t be best friends and hang out.”
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Novak Djokovic et Andy Murray ont participé à une petite exhibition devant le Casino de Monaco
Image credit: Eurosport
THE GRAND SLAM ERA
It is perhaps no coincidence that Murray’s best friend among the tour’s elite is believed to be Rafael Nadal, the player he has perhaps sparred with least at the business end of a major (Nadal’s injury-enforced decline pretty much coinciding with Murray’s rise to prominence).
Murray, Nadal and Djokovic used to enjoy a strong relationship, the echo of their time spent in junior competition with and against each other, but such social meetings have waned as the men have matured and changed.
“It's good for the sport to see myself and Murray challenging them. I think Roger, Rafa, Andy and myself have a very civil relationship, with a great respect for one another,” Djokovic said.
“Sometimes, I have dinner with Andy or Rafa; but the reality is none of us can be real mates while we are fighting for history. But one day, when we've all retired, I look forward to sitting down over a beer with them all, and their families, and remember what we went through.”
If anything the relationship between Murray and Djokovic has got more business-like, with the Scot hinting recently that their off-court interactions now are often of a political nature – discussing the big issues of the tour at the time and perhaps working out ways their influence can be brought to bear on what they feel are the important topics.
In recent years the ATP Tour has faced issues with scheduling, doping and, more recently, match-fixing, with Murray in particular not afraid to air an opinion.
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Rusedski: All the pressure is on Djokovic
“When we were younger it was more friendly,” Murray acknowledged recently. “I still message him sometimes and we've spent a lot of time discussing various issues within tennis and doing what I think was best for the sport, but I don't think it goes more than that right now.
“I would hope that when we finish playing it will be different. But it's just hard because playing in big, big matches, with a lot on the line, you can't be best of friends."
There are hints, however, that such relentless competition – Sunday’s final will be the fifth time they have met in a final, with many more semi-final contests – has driven a more permanent wedge between them.
When Murray got married in 2015, Djokovic revealed simply that he was “not invited”, when asked about the impending nuptials.
When asked about the ceremony in weeks prior to the ceremony, Murray insisted that he and his wife – who had taken general control of the guestlist – had simply decided not to go celebrity-heavy.
But his comments about the criteria used for offering invites perhaps hinted that Djokovic’s idea of an idyllic retirement where the Murrays and Djokovics sit around a Monte Carlo pool and reminisce about past battles is wildly optimistic.
“There won’t be any celebrities as such,” Murray said. “ [The list will be] Everyone who we’re close to, people we’ve spent a lot of time with in the past but also people we see ourselves spending time with in the future. That’s how we came up with the names.”
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Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
A BIT OF HISTORY REPEATED
One of the more notable fracturing moments in the recent history of the Djokovic-Murray relationship appears to have come in last year’s Australian Open final.
Djokovic won on that occasion - 7–6(7–5), 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 6–0 – but seemed to dip back into his bag of dubious tricks in order to do so, twice calling for the trainer after he fell behind in the second and third sets, before miraculously returning to form like the “rabbit” Federer once joked about.
Murray certainly seemed to suspect unsportsmanlike play.
“The third set was frustrating because I got a bit distracted when he, like, fell on the ground after a couple of shots,” Murray said. “It appeared that he was cramping, and then I let that distract me a little bit. That’s what I’m most disappointed about.”
Pushed on his views, Murray added: “He obviously looked like he was in quite a bad way at the beginning of the third set and came back unbelievable at the end of that set.
“Then obviously the way he was hitting the ball in the fourth and moving was impressive. So, yeah, I don’t know exactly what the issue was for him.”
Djokovic felt alarmed enough about the veiled accusation to suggest he would try to talk to Murray to clear the air – although he hardly sounded convinced that such an occasion would actually take place.
“If there is a chance, if he’s willing to talk, I’ll talk, no problem,” Djokovic said. “I have nothing to hide. I’m not the sort of guy who is pretending, who is trying to do something behind anyone’s back or is saying bad things about anybody, especially about someone I have known for a long time.
“I don’t want to point a finger at him or the media or whoever might be trying to cause some kind of unnecessary tension. Hopefully, things will be right in the future.”
It remains to be seen if those open wounds – Murray sensing he might have been played, Djokovic aggrieved at having his character questioned – were ever wholly closed. Both focused on their own ambitions, working ever closer with the one extensive teams to gain an edge on the other, maybe any sort of 'reunion' would serve as more of a distraction than a useful experience.
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Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia holds up his trophy next to runner-up Andy Murray of Britain after winning their men's singles final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne
Image credit: Reuters
THE FUTURE
Given that Murray and Djokovic, both 28, are still in their primes, and that Federer and Nadal are slowly fading away as the next generation - Raonic? Dimitrov? Kyrgios? - struggle to make the leap, Sunday’s final is unlikely to be the last battle between the two.
Djokovic currently leads the head-to-head record, 21-9, while in grand slam finals he has won three of their meetings to the Scot’s two. Djokovic's methods may irk his rival, but while he has the upper hand on the court that might just be Murray's cross to bear silently.
Of course, it is clear that both players are now entering another chapter in their careers – with family responsibilities starting to have an effect on their priorities. True to form recent form Djokovic both married and became a father before Murray, who will become the latter sometime in the next few weeks. But there seems to be a hope that such a changing of perspectives will eventually help bridge the divide that sport has placed between them.
“When he gets married and maybe has a kid we will spend more time,” Djokovic has said. “We’ll have an excuse! Things will, hopefully, be different in the future.”
That may or may not be the case – as long as they are the most viable contenders for grand slam victory, you sense the distance will have to remain – but, in retirement, perhaps we will see just what an effect all these title battles have had on a friendship that began in the purest of fashions, two teenagers who happened to share the same all-consuming interest, but was splintered apart by the heights that shared passion took them.
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