London - Novak Djokovic is prepared to talk to Andy Murray to try to assure him that there was no sharp practice going on in the Australian Open final.
As the world No 1 did his obligatory posing with the trophy, he spoke of how he hoped his relationship with Murray has not changed after the fractious climax to the season’s first Grand Slam.
“From my perspective, not,” said the Serb, 27,who has opened up a huge lead at the top of the rankings after a match that saw Murray allow himself to get distracted by the Serb’s demonstrative physical lows. “If there is a chance, if he’s willing to talk, I’ll talk. I have nothing to hide. I’m not the sort of guy who is pretending, who is trying to do something behind anyone’s back or is saying bad things about anybody, especially about him, someone I have known for a long time. I have respect for him.
“We have a good and very fair relationship. I don’t want to point a finger at him or the media or whoever might be trying to cause some kind of unnecessary tension.”
The new rankings look a lot more healthy for Murray now. He is close behind Rafael Nadal in the world No 4 spot.
He could be Djokovic’s biggest challenger this year, which is why the champion explained that it is hard to be as close as they once were.
“We are rivals and of course you can’t really sit down and have dinners and chat about some intimate things, because tomorrow you’re going to be on the court fighting for the biggest trophies. So at this point of our careers maybe that intimate relationship is not possible.”
The only thing left for Djokovic to win in tennis - his big project this year.
He is ready to do it, with his indomitable spirit and durability.
He has an extraordinary athleticism, but how he keeps fighting through the pain barrier inevitably raises questions about how he does it.
Djokovic would not be specific about whether he uses such things as oxygen chambers but said there was no magic formula to his stamina. “During the past couple of years people were trying to make me reveal my ‘secrets’, so-called, of success, of feeling good, of enduring, of having this physical consistency and avoiding injuries,” he said. “But there is no one special thing. I mention the term ‘holistic approach’ in terms of your mindset, your philosophy about life, the psychological point of view. The way you grow, the way you grow in experiences from a physical point of view, the way you train, recover yourself.”
Murray was heading back to London and is due next week to play in Rotterdam. He is intent on trying to be more consistent this season. “I did everything I could to win Australia,” he said.
Daily Mail