Novak Djokovic's debut at the Brisbane ATP 250 was very positive. The former world No. 1 won in straight sets against Australian ace Rinky Hijikata and was able to enjoy New Year's Eve with his family.
The Serbian legend has always been used to playing in the first week of the year and is intent on winning the 100th title of his career in Brisbane. This tournament also serves Nole as preparation for the Australian Open, which will take place at Melbourne Park from January 12 to 26.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion who will face French veteran Gael Monfils in the next round is not followed by his new coach Andy Murray in this tournament. As Novak himself explained in the press conference, the former Scottish champion had already planned a trip with his family at this time and will join him directly in Melbourne next week.
The collaboration between these two legends is certainly one of the most interesting topics at the start of the season. Everyone knows that Djokovic absolutely wants to win his 25th Major title, which would allow him to detach Margaret Court in the all-time rankings.
A positive start
Achieving this feat will not be easy at all even for a legend like Novak, who will be the No.7 seed at the AO. In a lengthy interview with Eurosport, former ATP ace Tim Henman revealed that he was very surprised when he found out that Djokovic and Murray would work together in 2025: Andys decision to coach Djokovic certainly took me by surprise. When I saw it on the internet, I had to check the date, whether it was an April Fools.
He also added: But no, I think its a smart move from Nole, because Andys played against all those opponents that Djokovic is going to be up against. Andys always been a great tactician, so Im sure that fresh input can motivate Djokovic.
And from Andys point of view, having just retired in August, I was surprised that he wants to get back on the road that quickly. But only time will tell how the relationship evolves.
