On the surface, there seems to be many things that ties World No 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic from Serbia to World No 2 player Andy Murray from the United Kingdom. For one, they were born within a week of each other, in 1987 (May 22 and May 15, respectively). Their career paths have also veered in similar directions. The prodigies first met in 2000 during a junior tournament and became good friends. But on the tennis courts they have often rivaled each other, as they find themselves playing a cat-and-mouse game on the rankings board (Djokovic: 1, Murray: 2).

Andy Murray (left) looks at Novak Djokovic during the victory ceremony after the men’s singles final at the Australian Open, on January 27. Pic/ AFP