Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of 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 anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Period

Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

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

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

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm 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 mentally more fatigued 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 feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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 genuinely an issue."