Novak Djokovic, under the leadership of Andy Murray, stands out at the Australian Open | ATP tour

Match report

Djokovic, led by Murray, strengthens his muscles at the Australian Open

10-time champion beats wild card Basavareddy in four sets

January 13, 2025

The new era of Novak Djokovic, under the watchful eye of coach Andy Murray, began on Monday at the Australian Open.

The record 10-time champion beat American wild card Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to secure his place in the second round in Melbourne for an 18th consecutive year. At times unconvincing, Djokovic regularly turned to an animated Murray in his trainer’s box for an extra boost of energy before sealing a two-hour, 58-minute victory.

“It’s all business for us now, I’m delighted to have him by my side,” Djokovic said of Murray. “It was a bit of a strange experience having him on the field in my box… We’ve played against each other for over 20 years, and it’s great to have him on the same side of the net.

“He gave me good advice mid-match. It’s really good to have the opportunity to share feedback and ask our coaches to tell us what they see. It’s been a great experience (with Murray), I hope we don’t stop there.

Basavareddy appeared unfazed by the scale of the event inside Rod Laver Arena, where he moved freely to outlast the former world number 1 in many of the longer exchanges. The physical demands of facing Djokovic began to take their toll, however, and the No. 107 PIF ATP ranking called a medical timeout after losing the second set.

As the match progressed, Murray became more and more involved and often rose from his seat, provoking charged roars from Djokovic. In the third and fourth sets, the 37-year-old Serb finally raised his service level and clinically converted all three break points he won, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to qualify for the first major tournament of the year.

“He was the better player for a set and a half, he deserved all the applause he got,” Djokovic said of Basavareddy, who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December. “It was a great performance. This kind of confrontation is always delicate (and) dangerous. He has nothing to lose in his first Grand Slam match.

“He pleasantly surprised me with all his shots until the very end, so I wish him all the best for the future.”

Seventh-seeded Djokovic will next continue his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title – and 100th overall – against qualifier Jaime Faria, who earlier beat Pavel Kotov 6-1, 6-1, 7- 5.