Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic

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

Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership concluded 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 Australian Open in 2025 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Looking Back at the Period

In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"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."

An Intimidating 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his latter career, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would harm players.

"I don't think there's anything that suggests 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 tired, 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 taxing 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."