The first glimpses of the Andy Murray-Novak Djokovic partnership have been just as thrilling as we all expected.
As was talked about endlessly when the pair announced late last year that Murray would be coaching Djokovic, there are few coach-player relationships that have been as unexpected as this.
Even he, admitted Murray this week, was entirely blind-sided by Djokovic’s invitation to join his coaching team.
There is little question that the pairing is great for tennis - anything that brings greater media coverage and more eyeballs to the sport can only be a good thing.
But really, the most pressing question is can Murray give Djokovic what he needs?
The first thing that needs to be established is exactly what Djokovic needs over the next fortnight at the Australian Open, as well as going forwards if this partnership endures?
At 37 years old, Djokovic is nearing the end of his career.
Having established himself as the greatest tennis player who’s ever lived - he’s won a record 24 grand slam titles plus everything else there is to win in tennis - the fact Djokovic is still playing is something of a surprise in itself. Even more so given that no longer is his very best a guarantee of winning every tennis match.
There was a period of time in which Novak Djokovic’s top level of tennis ensured he was unbeatable, even by Rafa Nadal or Roger Federer.
Father Time has ensured that Djokovic’s top level is now significantly lower than that of his very best a few years ago.
In Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcatraz in particular, there’s two players whose bests are better than Djokovic’s best.
So the Serb, if he wants to add to his grand slam tally - and he clearly does - needs to work out a way to beat them.
On a purely physical level, both Sinner and Alcatraz now have the beating of Djokovic.
And this is where Murray comes in.
When you’ve been as successful as Djokovic has, there’s not many people on the planet who have the authority to speak to you on any kind of level about tennis, never mind to actually tell you what to do.
But Murray is one of the few who does have that authority.
Yes, Murray hasn’t racked-up the same number of titles as the Serb but the Scot knows what it’s like to walk out onto the biggest stages, often against a player who was, on paper, the favourite to beat him, and win.
Indeed, two of Murray’s three grand slam titles came as a result of upsetting the odds and beating Djokovic in the final.
Added to this, the Scot has one of, if not the very best tennis minds ever seen in the sport.
Murray’s tennis brain and tactical nous is unmatched by almost any player who’s ever picked up a racquet.
This, it seems certain, is why Djokovic has called on Murray’s services.
But tactically, there’s always room for improvement - and Djokovic is smart enough to know that tactical changes can bring overnight improvement.
Murray is the best tactician Djokovic has ever faced.
To now have him on the same side of the net is going to be an interesting study in just how much of this tactical prowess can be passed on.
Murray spent his entire career studying Djokovic’s strengths and weaknesses, and he’s also studied Sinner and Alcaraz’s strengths and weaknesses, although over a shorter time period.
And if there’s anyone who can advise Djokovic on how to avoid this pair’s strengths and exploit their weaknesses, it’s Murray.
Already, in their first few days together on court, it’s apparent that Murray will have a very hands-on role. He may not be telling Djokovic how to hit a forehand but he’s certainly giving him advice constantly on how to shape his game.
This is exactly why Djokovic’s appointment of Murray is a stroke of genius, regardless of whether or not the Serb wins his eleventh Australian Open title at the end of these two weeks.
If Djokovic can win his 25th grand slam, it’d be up there with his greatest achievements. And he’ll owe Murray a huge debt of thanks.
AND ANOTHER THING…
There have been few more heartening sights in the Scottish sporting world this year than seeing Jake Wightman in full flow on his way to the Scottish 3000m title last weekend.
Wightman has endured an injury nightmare since heroically winning the world 1500m title in 2022 and the 30-year-old had raced only ten times in two years prior to his appearance in Glasgow last weekend.
His time of 7 minutes 44.94 seconds may not quite have been world class but only those with a heart of stone would have been anything less than thrilled to see the Edinburgh man back on an athletics track.
Only time will tell if Wightman is able to return to the form that saw him become world champion but if I could be granted one wish for Wightman, it’s that he can get through 2025 injury-free.
If this year brings another significant injury lay-off for Wightman, it’s impossible to believe he will ever be back competing with the world’s best and while sport owes nobody anything, Wightman is surely due a less disrupted season than he’s been granted over the past two years.
