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

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

Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement concluded 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 several additional tournaments.

"It's a job 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 immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Looking Back at the Stint

In retrospect, Murray expressed 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 overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"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."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

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

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

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would harm players.

"I don't think there's anything that indicates 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 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."