Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of other tournaments.

"It's a job coaching 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 remarked in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Experience

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.

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

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in 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 sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

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

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing."

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

Views on the Tennis Tour

The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact 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 stated.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are feeling 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 genuinely an issue."