The Australian Open is the first of 4 Grand Slam Tournaments of the 2025 Season – the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open will follow. The first rounds of the AO start in Melbourne on January 12th, culminating with the Women’s Final on Friday the 24th and the Men’s Final on Saturday the 25th.
In the U.S., ESPN and The Tennis Channel will be covering the Tournament. In Canada, TNS and RDS are your eyes on the Tournament.
In 2021 and 2023, Novak Djokovic won 3 of the 4 Grand Slam Tournaments. In 2024, he was not so lucky … but, then and again, he did walk away with a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. He ended the year ranked 7th in the World, suffering a swift descent from his #1 ranking in 2023.
Djokovic is 37 years old. Last year saw the reluctant retirements of Rafael Nadal at age 38 and Andy Murray at age 37. Roger Federer managed to sneak in a few extra years, retiring in 2022 at the age of 41.
Djokovic crashed out of the warm-up Brisbane International Tournament in the quarter finals – demolished by 293-ranked American Reilly Opelka and robbed of an opportunity to earn his expected 100th ATP Tour title. That said, he has won the Australian Open 10 times (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023) – the most Tournament wins by any male player, ever.
We are all interested in seeing if Djokovic’s recent coaching partnership with former rival Andy Murray produces desired results. Will Murray’s trusted, fresh perspective bring what is needed to the table?
“Being on the same side of the net is actually great for a change because (Murray’s) been one of my greatest rivals. In a way it was strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, sharing some of the secrets of what I’m going through, what I’m thinking about, how I see my game with somebody that has been always one of the top rivals. But I’m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me here in Australia.” (Novak Djokovic)
“He has a unique perspective on my game … He knows the pros and cons of my game. He has also played up to recently on the Tour, so he knows all the other best players currently in the world, the youngsters and the weaknesses and strengths in their game.” (Novak Djokovic)
“I think (Murray’s) a great hire from [Novak] Djokovic because he is trying to find something new to motivate him … He is going to bring a great deal of tactical advice to Novak’s camp, he is a fantastic tennis mind.” (Former professional tennis player, John Isner)
After the Australian Open, Djokovic and Murray will decide whether to continue working together. With an estimated net worth of $100+ million and 4 young children who would love to spend more time with their dad, Murray doesn’t need the gig, so he has nothing to lose. He’s already said that he’s not interested in broadcasting, which he finds predictably light and boring. With years of top level tennis under his belt, his age and thinning hair have nothing to do with his ability to bring out the best in others. The Australian Open could be a whole new beginning.
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