Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results with Djokovic

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

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

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Assessing the Period

Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

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

"After the injury, it was certainly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule

The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

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

"When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are feeling now, just being away for longer.

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