Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement dissolved 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.

"You're working with 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Stint

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

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 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 disappointed. 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 shared an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."

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

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows 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 fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."