If you have to experience the lows to really enjoy the highs then Jamie Murray will be feeling pretty good about life right now.

The Scot, who almost quit tennis three years ago when he couldn’t find a partner and his motivation and ranking dropped, left Melbourne last night with a Grand Slam doubles trophy in his bag.

Less than 19 hours after he and new partner Bruno Soares won their first grand slam doubles title, beating Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek in three sets, Murray was back at Melbourne Park to support his brother Andy in the singles final against world No.1 Novak Djokovic.

The elder Murray brother left to catch the midnight flight home, which will have given him ample time to consider the journey which, a couple of weeks short of his 30th birthday, has finally yielded a major doubles title.

It was here three years ago that Murray was at his lowest. By his own admission, Murray played “a horrible match” with Colin Fleming as the two Scots were well beaten in the first round of the Australian Open.

With his ranking down near the 100 mark, Murray was not much fun to be around but a partnership with John Peers, an unheralded Australian, helped to dig him out of his slump.

While the pair quickly won their first title, it was Murray’s decision, something encouraged by his mother, Judy Murray, to re-hire Louis Cayer that really made the difference.

The Canadian, renowned as the best doubles coach in the world, had been responsible for bringing through numerous players into the top 10, including Nestor, across the net from Murray on Saturday night.

Together, they embarked on a programme designed to restore Murray to where Cayer felt he belonged, improving his serve, which was good but inconsistent and his returns, the weakest part of his game.

Though Murray and Peers reached the final at Wimbledon and the US Open last summer, Murray wanted a change and picked Soares, and on Saturday, Murray returned as well as he ever has as they came from a set down to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Murray thanked Cayer in his acceptance speech and later said he had been the key to a rise that will see him climb to No 2 in the rankings today.

“All the work we've done together has always been in a process with a view to getting to No.1,” he said. “I mean, whether I believed I could do it, I don't know, but he did. I just did what he told me. Almost there. Getting closer.”

Leon Smith, who led both men to glorious victory in the Davis Cup final last November, said their achievements are already incredible.

“I just think it’s amazing that you’ve got the two brothers sitting at No 2 in the world,” he said.

“It’s quite astonishing actually, particularly from the one family to be in that situation, from the one town.

“It’s an incredible story, it has always been an incredible story, it just gets even more incredible when things like that happen. I just think it’s astonishing.”

Smith has been there for much of it, having been signed up as a coach by Judy Murray when the boys were 10 and 11, travelling, often in the back of a van, to play tournaments anywhere and everywhere.

“We talked about it a lot in Davis Cup,” he said. “We were laughing, saying it was actually quite funny that we’re walking out there in GB tracksuits when you think back to what it was like 15, 16 years ago.

“They were so young. It’s amazing – you never take it for granted – that journey they’ve been on, the way that Judy influenced them all, me as well, the whole programme in Scotland, it’s amazing to think.

“I do sit there sometimes and think it’s amazing, the journey. But it’s good to keep reminding yourself about that as well.”

Smith said Murray’s on-court speech, in which he thanked his family for all their support, spoke volumes.

“I think that showed a man that’s put his heart and soul into trying to get to that point,” he said. “He’s suffered some disappointments along the way, it was nice to see him get there.”