Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments.

"The role involves coaching 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 extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Stint

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

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

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 labeled "embarrassing."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing 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 weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."