Novak Djokovic: Andy Murray must do what's right for him

Djokovic was last night crowned Laureus World Sportsman of the Year after producing one of the greatest seasons in the history of the sport to become the new world number one.

The past 12 months have witnessed a remarkable rise to the summit of the game by Djokovic, who had slipped behind Murray in the battle to catch Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal prior to 2011.

Having won four of the last five grand slams, there is no doubt Djokovic is now completely outstripping Murray, who was born just a week before his fellow 24-year-old.

The switch to a gluten-free diet appeared to pay off for Djokovic, something Murray also tried but with less spectacular results.

Djokovic said: "I've never liked comparisons because everyone's different, especially in tennis, which is an individual sport.

"So, everybody has a different path and everybody has a different structure of the body and different minds.

"I think you have to adjust to it and find the best possible way to benefit.

"For me, it was a learning process in the last couple of years. I'd been number three in the world for three or four years in a row and Andy Murray was number four.

"What changed for me was the mental stability and strength and experience that I got over the years playing at the top level and just believing I can win the major tournaments, believing I can win against the biggest rivals at the later stages of major events."

That belief helped Djokovic retain his Australian Open crown last week as he fought back to beat Rafael Nadal in a record-breaking final lasting almost six hours.

Despite hailing it as the best win of his career, that gruelling marathon - coming after another epic five-set semi-final win against Murray - also reinforced Djokovic's belief that the tennis season needs reducing.

Some former players have criticised the current crop for complaining about the schedule.

Djokovic said: "I respect everybody's opinion but I think that everything in life is changing, is evolving. So tennis is no different.

"It's become a lot more physical than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago. Considering that fact, I believe that there should be some changes for the good of the sport, for the good of tennis players.

"We have seen a lot of injuries lately, in the last year and a half or two, and this is not good for anybody.

"There is no use in top players being injured and so we're all already working towards finding a solution to that issue.

"It's not going to be easy because you have to consider tournaments and the tradition of the sport.

"But we sincerely hope to have better scheduling so we can have healthier lives after we finish our careers."

Djokovic is already tailoring his own season in order to peak for the remaining grand slams and the Olympics.

"I've learned how to handle myself on and off the court, I've learnt how to make the right schedule and how to prepare for the biggest events," said Djokovic, who refused to rule out the prospect of becoming the first man in history to win the so-called 'Golden Slam'.

"The fact is that I will prioritise majors and the Olympic Games."