Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year.

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments.

"It's a job coaching not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Reflecting on the Period

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"After the injury, it was definitely a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his latter career, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are experiencing now, just being away for longer.

"I don't think the matches are so much more grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."