Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of 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 assumption 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 tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Stint

Looking back, Murray expressed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable 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 with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was a shame 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 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 Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour

The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had opposed 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 shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more tired, 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 grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."