Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year.

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments.

"You're working with not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my expectation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Stint

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, 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 suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."