By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, January 9, 2025

The support box can feel as comfortable as a pressure cooker during Grand Slam stress.

New coach Andy Murray says if Novak Djokovic blows up at his box during the Australian Open, he'll handle the heat as part of the job.

More: Opelka Shocks Djokovic

Meeting the media in Melbourne during AO practice week, Murray said he completely understands if the vocal Djokovic vents frustration at his box.

That's because of the significant stakes—Djokovic is playing for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam and 100th career championships in Melbourne—and the fact Murray spent much of his own competitive career ranting and raving at his own box.

"I know it’s not easy out there and it’s stressful and at times he’s going to want to vent towards his team and his box," Murray said. "Provided he’s giving his best effort and trying as hard as can, I’m absolutely fine with him expressing himself how he wants."



Two-time Olympic gold-medal champion's Murray's preferred method of self-expression ranged from screaming at his box to smacking his calf with his Head racquet to punching his racquet face strings.

During Amélie Mauresmo's tenure as Murray's coach, the two-time Grand Slam champion once changed seats during a match because she felt Murray's verbal outbursts were counter-productive.

Murray, who was born a week apart from Djokovic, said he wants the 37-year-old Serbian superstar to express himself openly on court—and he expects to feel stress once the matches begin.

Muzzah doesn't want to muzzle Djokovic's emotional intensity.

"Obviously I expect when the matches start it's stressful," Murray said. "When you’re trying to achieve great things it’s not easy," Murray added. "But the rewards at the end of it can be great and that’s something I’m looking forward (to).”

The 10-time AO champion Djokovic opens against talented 19-year-old American wild card Nishesh Basavareddy.

ESPN analyst and former world No. 1 John McEnroe told Tennis Now if this Djokovic-Murray partnership succeeds in Melbourne it will go down as one of the most amazing storylines the AO has seen in years.



"This thing with Murray and Djokovic, especially if Djokovic wins Australia, then it would be like, wow, this is incredible," McEnroe told Tennis Now during a Zoom call to promote ESPN's Australian Open coverage. "I'm sure he'd be flooded with coaching requests, or maybe they'd stick with him for the rest of the year.

"To me, if it doesn't work out, let's say Djokovic loses in the quarters or semis and then they decide not to continue, would Murray want to coach someone else. So that would be the questions I would have.

"I remember years ago when Murray decided to work with my old rival, Ivan Lendl, I was in Australia and someone said to me, did you hear Murray is hiring Ivan Lendl, and I was like, oh, my God, that's actually going to work. But Murray is 37, and Ivan is a year younger than me. So you can understand that.

"But this one, when they're like a week apart and rivals, it's pretty amazing."