MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic remembers when he was about 11 and meeting a boy his age named Andy Murray.

The young Murray from Dunblane, Scotland, was “quite pale,” recalled the Serbian, known as “The Joker” for his wisecracks.

Back then, they were playing on the juniors’ circuit “just trying to play tennis and enjoy the game,” Djokovic said. Little did either know that later in life they would keep running into each other on tennis’ biggest stages.

On Sunday, Djokovic and Murray meet for their third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. It is the latest rematch in a rivalry that Djokovic describes as unique because they’ve known each other since childhood.

“It’s nice to see somebody that you grew up with doing so well,” the 25-year-old Serbian player said Saturday. “We know each other since we were 11, 12 years old. I guess that adds something special to our rivalry.”