Andy Murray showed true colours with Carlos Alcaraz comments as Novak Djokovic wins through

Andy Murray was in the stands to watch Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, where there was mutual respect aplenty

Andy Murray may have been celebrating Carlos Alcaraz's Australian Open quarter-final loss, but he's certainly a big fan of the young Spaniard.

Novak Djokovic, who announced Murray as his new coach last November, delivered an exceptional performance to secure a remarkable four-set win against Alcaraz at the Rod Laver Arena, despite nursing a hamstring injury. The 24-time Grand Slam winner, 37, lost the first set but rallied to take the next three, marking his fourth victory over 21-year-old Alcaraz in their last five encounters.

Later in the day, footage surfaced of Murray comforting Alcaraz in the gym after the match, a gesture hailed as "class" by many on social media. This admiration doesn't come as a shock since the legendary British star, also 37, has long been an admirer of Alcaraz.

In March 2024, Murray expressed on X how watching the current Wimbledon and French Open champion play brought a smile to his face. Alcaraz, in turn, said he felt honoured by such commendation from a highly skilled and "legendary" player.

"As I said many times, I play for myself and I play for my team. But also I enjoy it if people enjoy watching my matches. It's pretty cool," he said. "I think for me it's even better if a legend like Andy says something like this, that he enjoys watching my matches.

"It's crazy, honestly. He has seen a lot of tennis during his career. Seeing these words from him for me is great. It's something I try to do in every match."

A few days later, Murray further lauded the youngster while speaking to Tennis Channel. "I love watching Alcaraz 'cause of the way that he plays the game," he said. "He's just got so much variety and power, and he tries stuff. He doesn't always get it right; he makes mistakes, and that is also something that I enjoy. You never know what's going to come next."

Djokovic's victory secured his spot in the Australian Open semi-final for the remarkable 12th time. He will next face World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, and if successful, Djokovic will be just one victory away from claiming a historic 25th major title.

However, he expressed concerns over his fitness for Friday's match due to an injury sustained during his match against Alcaraz. Speaking in his post-match press conference, Djokovic revealed that the injury was reminiscent of his three centimetre left hamstring tear in 2023, which he overcame to secure the title.

"If I had lost the second set, I don't know if I would have continued playing," Djokovic admitted. "Now it's really about recovery. I'll take it day by day. I'm concerned. I am, to be honest, physically. The doctor gave me some painkillers. That kicked in after 20, 30 minutes. It did help. Then I had to take another dose I think in the beginning of the fourth.

"Now that it's cooling off, I can start to feel different things. Let's see how it goes tomorrow and day by day. But if I manage somehow to be physically good enough, I think mentally, emotionally I'm as motivated as I can be."

Djokovic was forced to withdraw from the 2024 French Open due to a meniscus tear, and he soldiered on through discomfort at Wimbledon just a month later. "I don't recall last time it was any Slam without some form of drama, to be honest," Djokovic said with a grin.

The Serbian star holds the record for the most Grand Slam wins among male players and is just one victory away from surpassing Margaret Court's all-time record, with both currently tied on 24. The Australian Open has always been his stronghold, with the Belgrade-born player securing a record 10 titles in Melbourne.

With tournament favourite Alcaraz out of the running, this could be Djokovic's golden opportunity to clinch his 25th title and firmly establish himself as the undisputed king of tennis.