Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year.

In his debut coaching role, 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 expectation was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Stint

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, 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 sensational 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are sensing 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."