Novak Djokovic reveals Andy Murray took his family on a ski trip and funnily expressed hope that his new coach stays healthy ahead of the Australian Open.

On Tuesday, the world No. 7 played his first singles match of the year after beating Rinky Hijikata 6-3 6-3.

When the Serb announced Brisbane as his first tournament of 2025, there was hope his partnership with Murray could be started there.

But the newly retired Briton elected not to come so their debut as a player/coach duo won’t come earlier than the Australian Open.

However, in order for that to happen, the former two-time Wimbledon champion must avoid any serious injuries during the ski trip.

“He is actually skiing at the moment. He has a family skiing trip. Sending my love to all the Murray family. I hope he doesn’t get injured skiing before he comes to Melbourne!” the 37-year-old said.

“We are communicating daily so I’m excited to have him in my corner. For 20-plus years he has been across the net, for the first time ever we are on the same side of the court so it should be fun in Melbourne.”

Meanwhile, Djokovic delivered a pretty routine performance against Hijikata.Novak Djokovic© Brisbane International/X – Fair Use

After starting the match with an early break and a 3-0 lead, he just held on to his serve for the rest of the first set.

In the second set, the former world No. 1 claimed back-to-back breaks in the seventh and ninth games to finish the match on a four-game winning run and get the job done in two sets.

In his next match, Djokovic faces his old rival Gael Monfils.

The Serb owns a dominant 19-0 head versus the Frenchman and he is absolutely a big favorite to win their Brisbane round-of-16 match.