Hey tennis fans! 🎾
Guess what? Novak Djokovic, one of the greatest tennis players ever, had an exciting first match at the 2025 Australian Open! But this time, he had someone special in his corner – his new coach, Andy Murray!
At first, things were a bit tough for Djokovic. He lost the first set 4-6 to a 19-year-old newcomer named Nishesh Basavareddy from the USA. Basavareddy just turned professional last month after leaving Stanford University. Can you imagine playing against Djokovic in your first Grand Slam?
But Djokovic didn’t give up! With some great advice from his new coach Murray, he fought back and won the next three sets: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. 🏆 This win starts his journey to possibly getting his 11th Australian Open title and a record 25th Grand Slam title overall!
Djokovic said, “I’m obviously thrilled to have him in my corner. It was a little bit of a strange experience to have him at courtside in my box. We played for over 20 years against each other at the highest level. Great to have him on the same side of the net. He gave me some great advice mid-match.”
Isn’t it cool that two former rivals are now working together? Both Djokovic and Murray are 37 years old and have been playing against each other since they were 12!
In other news, Carlos Alcaraz from Spain also won his match! He beat Alexander Shevchenko from Kazakhstan with scores of 6-1, 7-5, 6-1. Alcaraz is aiming to win all four Grand Slam titles in his career. At just 21 years old, he’s already a four-time major champion! 🌟
Unfortunately, not everyone had a good day. Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria had to stop his match because of an injury. He was playing against Francesco Passaro from Italy. We hope he gets better soon!
The Australian Open is off to an exciting start! Who are you cheering for? Let us know! 🗣️
Reference(s):
Djokovic survives Australian Open scare, Alcaraz reaches second round
cgtn.com
