Murray and Djokovic were born seven days apart, came through the junior ranks together and have remained close friends despite their rivalry at the summit of men’s tennis.
World number four Murray will once again carry the hopes of the nation as he seeks to end Britain’s 75-year wait for a first male Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry, and Djokovic believes the Scot stands an excellent chance.
“He is definitely right there, right behind Federer and Nadal, and he plays really well at Wimbledon,” said the Serbian.
“It’s not easy for him, with all the pressure that he has, but I think he’s a more mature player than he was last year, as is true in my case, so I’m sure he’s going to do everything to win.”
Just as Murray will come under the microscope in the next two weeks, so will British tennis.
Despite the huge financial resources available to the Lawn Tennis Association, the state-of-art facilities on offer at the National Tennis Centre and the staging of its own major tournament, Britain currently has only one man and two women in the world’s top 100.
Serbia, by contrast, enjoys no such luxuries yet boasts three men in the top 30, three women in the top 60, three Grand Slam singles triumphs since 2008 and the 2010 Davis Cup.
“I’m not involved in the British tennis system, but what I can say from my country and my own experience is that it all comes down to mental strength, desire to succeed and this hunger to become a professional tennis player, to become the best,” Djokovic argued.
“We didn’t have in our country a tennis system that brought us up but we were all individually supported by our family and from those hard times we all took the right mental approach, the right values, we appreciate things in life much more and we know that we have to work for everything.
“But I’m sure Britain is going to get on the right path because it is one of the countries that has the longest tradition in this sport. You guys have all the facilities you need, it’s just a matter of time and patience.”
On current form, Djokovic has no such problems.