Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray faced each other 36 times throughout their tennis careers, mostly in finals and often at the business end of a grand slam. But at this year’s Australian Open, their decades-long rivalry has taken an unexpected turn.

Novak Djokovic claimed he was poisoned with lead and mercury at a Melbourne hotel in January 2022 when he was detained over vaccination issues. Djokovic revealed health issues linked to the contaminated food.

Novak Djokovic has been pleasantly surprised by the professionalism of new coach Andy Murray in the leadup to the Australian Open but said sharing his deepest thoughts with his former rival had initially been a challenge.