"Rivals, friends, & lovers?" - Andy Murray teases Novak Djokovic, thanks Serb for playing alongside him for 25 years with heartfelt collage
Andy Murray hilariously teased Novak Djokovic before thanking the Serb for over two decades of competition and wishing him well going forward. Murray and Djokovic produced one of the most thrilling tennis rivalries in recent times, particularly in the 2010s, when their collective rise ended Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's chokehold on the men's game.
Murray and Djokovic grew up competing at junior level, and eventually established themselves as formidable singles players on the ATP Tour in the second half of the 2000s. The Brit and the Serb were briefly doubles partners as well.
Djokovic's rise in singles came first, with the Serb breaking Federer and Nadal's dominance at Grand Slams by winning his first Major title at the 2008 Australian Open. The same year, Murray reached the US Open final before falling to Federer.
However, it was in the 2010s that the Brit and the Serb really proved that they had what it took to regularly challenge Federer and Nadal. Djokovic's standout years were 2011 and 2015, while Murray's best came to the fore in 2012, 2013 and 2016. As a result of their respective exploits, both became World No. 1s across different periods.
Since 2017, though, Murray and Djokovic's fortunes could not have been any more different. While the Serb has continued to add one prestigious title after another to his collection, the Brit has struggled with injuries, needing multiple surgeries to treat them. Right now, the duo is in Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Murray, having withdrawn from singles, has confirmed that his career will end with the conclusion of his doubles campaign at the Games. Meanwhile, Djokovic, chasing his maiden gold medal at the Games, is the top seed in men's singles, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Recently, Andy Murray took to Instagram to thank Djokovic for the stiff competition that the Serb provided to the Brit for more than two decades. He posted a heartfelt collage of some moments they shared over the years.
The three-time Major winner leveraged his signature humor to tease the 24-time Grand Slam champion as well, joking about one of the photos in the collage, suggesting that the two were not just "rivals, doubles partners, friends," but "lovers" as well.
"Rivals, doubles partners, friends and lovers?[see slide 3 (kiss emoji)] Thanks for the 25 years of competition @djokernole and good luck for rest of your career," Andy Murray wrote on Instagram.
"Novak Djokovic has huge support around the world" - Andy Murray
Recently, Andy Murray sat down for an interview with Christiane Amanpour of CNN, where the Brit was asked about how Djokovic had to settle for being less loved than Federer and Nadal. For a long time, it has been widely regarded that the Swiss and the Spaniard received more adulation and love from fans compared to Djokovic.
While the Brit agreed partially with Amanpour's suggestion that the Serb is not as popular as Federer and Nadal, he did acknowledge that the World No. 2 has a substantial, loyal and global fanbase as well:
"I think Novak [Djokovic ] has huge support around the world. I think at times it has been difficult for him to not feel the same support from the crowd as Rafa and Roger got but he still does have massive support around the world. I think he’s extremely well respected not just in tennis, but in in world sports because of all of his achievements."
Djokovic is into the second round in men's singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, having registered a straightforward win over Matthew Ebden in the first round. The Serb could potentially meet Rafael Nadal in the second round if the Spaniard wins his own first-round encounter against Marton Fucsovics.
However, Nadal's singles participation is still a doubt following his complaints of discomfort in his legs during training.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray is set to partner Daniel Evans, with the pair slated to face Japan's Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori in the first round in men's doubles.