Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 extremely challenging," Murray said 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."

Reflecting on the Stint

In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 ridiculous 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails."

A Demanding Start and Career 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 called "embarrassing."

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

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had voted against 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 fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

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

"I don't think the matches are so much more grueling 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."