Andy Murray showed off his patient side when discussing the biggest surprise in his relationship with Novak Djokovic – after being stopped while trying to shop.

The Brit said he was taken aback by how forthright the Serbian has been since they began their player-coach partnership earlier this month. The double act seems to be working wonders already, with Djokovic seamlessly winning his first three matches at the Australian Open.

He’s now set to face Czech sensation Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round on Sunday (January 19) after cruising past Tomas Machac earlier today. Murray, who reached five Grand Slam finals Down Under, could very well guide Djokovic to an unprecedented 11th Australian Open trophy if things continue to go their way.

Following Djokovic’s second-round victory against Jaime Faria, Murray got candid about his experiences while casually fielding queries in a supermarket, showing his classy persona while simply out trying to shop. “I wouldn’t say I’ve been hugely surprised; it’s kind of as I expected; maybe Novak is even more diligent than I would have expected,” the British tennis legend confessed.

“He’s unbelievably professional, extremely hard worker, maybe he’s been more open in terms of communication and his feelings and thoughts. From the first and second day that we were together, it’s been brilliant and it’s been really helpful for me trying to help him.

“The more open you are, the more you can communicate with each other. That’s probably the only thing I expected him to be a little bit reserved initially but he hasn’t.”

Murray also revealed he wants their partnership to extend past the Australian Open, reports the Express. He admitted: “I hope so.

“Ultimately, I’m aware that sports is a results business, and Novak has had a good result. Hopefully, things last for a long time, but we’ll see how the rest of the tournament goes.

“I believe Novak can have a great tournament, he’s building a little bit of momentum with each match. He’s the sort of player generally the longer the tournament goes, he plays better and better. He’s done well to get through some tricky first couple of matches and let’s hope he keeps playing better as the tournament goes on.”

Djokovic also shared his optimism regarding their partnership potentially having longevity, reflecting positively on Murray’s in-match guidance during his first round triumph over Nishesh Basavareddy. “I’m obviously thrilled to have him in my corner,” he commented.

“I must say it was a little bit of a strange experience to have him courtside in my box. He gave me some great advice mid-match. He’s been doing really well. It’s been an enjoyable experience and hopefully we don’t stop here.”

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