Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and several additional tournaments.

"The role involves 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 said in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Looking Back at the Experience

In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented.

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.

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"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 involves."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

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

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

Views on the Tennis Schedule

The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had voted against 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and mentally more fatigued 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 view 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."