And it's here to stay.

There was a comment made in the moments leading up to this year’s Australian Open decider between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray that was as profound as it was prophetic.

Asked about his own shaky start to his career, Andre Agassi confirmed how he managed to turn things around. Sadly, Andy Murray, who crashed to his third Grand Slam defeat, most likely wasn’t listening.

“I went into my first three majors waiting for the other guy to lose it when I finally realised, I’ve got to take it”, said Agassi, who remains one of only seven men in the history of the game to win on all Grand Slam surfaces.

Now there’s a metaphor for life. And a prediction of what unfolded at Melbourne Park as a cautious Murray was taken apart for his lack of initiative between the lines.

I recall being courtside at Rod Laver Arena in 2008 when Djokovic made his Grand Slam breakthrough against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

What became immediately apparent was the Serb’s fortuitous groundstrokes and perhaps even more so, his defensive game. And so it was again three years later.

For all Nole’s clowning around, his at times hilarious send-ups of some of the more famous names on the men’s and women’s circuit, beneath it all, lies an incredible athlete.

A player, who really doesn’t have a technical weakness in his game and who at 23, is only getting better while the world’s top two steadily lose ground.

It’s pretty much an accepted fact that Roger Federer is not as good as he was in the 2003-2007 period. The brutality of Djokovic’s straight sets semi-final demolition over the Fed Express and indeed Federer’s forlorn body language during the match is certainly testimony to that fact.

Most people would agree that Rafael Nadal is a better player than the 16-time Grand Slam champion now, but with the Spaniard’s persistent knee and hamstring injuries lately, the jury and the MRI scans may still be out on that count.

Let’s get this straight. Neither Djokovic, Nadal nor anyone else in the current era is likely to surpass Federer’s amazing Grand Slam milestone. That feat belongs in the rarified altitude occupied by men such as rocket Rod Laver.

However, given the ongoing incredible development of his game and his age, it’s safe to assume Novak’s name will be written on a lot more silverware over the coming years.

No joke about it.