MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have known each other for a quarter of a century. They played from the age of 12, meeting 36 times as professionals, including 10 Grand Slam matches. Yet they've never been able to talk shop and freely trade all sorts of thoughts — about tennis and otherwise — until now.

Andy Murray insists that he will be only too happy to face the wrath of Novak Djokovic, should he find himself on the receiving end of a few mouthy outbursts at next week’s Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic made some news before the start of the Australian Open which begins on Jan. 12. Djokovic alleged in a lengthy GQ interview published on Thursday that he was “poisoned” by lead and mercury in his food while he was briefly detained in Melbourne in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open.