News They may be preparing for the first grand slam of the year, but the world’s top two ranked tennis players – Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – have Olympic gold on their minds Both men, old friends from their time on the junior circuit, have taken time out from their pre-Australian Open schedules this week to speak about their desire to top the podium at the Rio 2016 Games “It’s definitely right up there at the top of the priorities of this season,” Djokovic told The Telegraph The Serb, who won three of the four grand slams last season, is confident he can add to the bronze medal he won at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games “With the way the last couple of seasons have gone for me, I feel I can do very well Rio”Novak DjokovicDjokovic has won 31 of his last 32 matches (Photo: Getty Images/Clive Brunskill) Murray, meanwhile, has admitted that winning the Australian Open is his top priority this season The Scot has lost in the Melbourne final four times, to Djokovic on the last three occasions But the world no 2, who beat Djokovic in the London 2012 semi-finals, says defending his Olympic title is also a priority “I won the gold in London four years ago so to try to defend that is another big goal for me,” Murray told the Team GB website “They (the Australian Open and Olympic Games) would be the two main ones for me ”To do that, Murray will have to overcome a man who is playing the best tennis of his life Djokovic has won 31 of his last 32 matches, including a brutal 6-2 6-1 victory over Rafael Nadal in the final of the Qatar Open last week And the 28-year-old seems determined to add the Olympic singles title to his haul of 10 grand slams Become a tennis expert with our interactive infographicMurray on his way to gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Photo: Getty Images/Clive Brunskill) “The conditions will be quite challenging for everybody in terms of heat and humidity,” Djokovic said “I am going to take a week in preparation, which means going there earlier, and becoming used to those conditions I am already looking forward to the opening ceremony There’s a different dimension to the Olympics: a dimension of pride and honour and passion I look forward to being part of that energy, absorbing that energy and giving my energy to that ”Olympic Tennis Centre hosts first competition in Barra Olympic ParkMurray, too, is eager to immerse himself in the Olympic atmosphere again “The Olympics is the biggest sporting competition by far,” he told The Telegraph “I have been to the opening ceremony and you have the best athletes in the world there There is no comparison ”With world no 3 Roger Federer, world no 4 Stan Wawrinka and world no 5 Rafa Nadal having also expressed their intention to battle for the men’s singles title in Rio, competition is set to be fierce in Barra Olympic Park