Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year.

In his maiden 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 noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Stint

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

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.

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats 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 recalled.

"After the injury, it was undoubtedly 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 entails."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "awkward."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

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

"When you're more exhausted, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are sensing 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."