Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Results with Djokovic

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

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year.

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 expectation was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Reflecting on the Period

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"After the injury, it was definitely 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 story from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, saying the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

"I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."