Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other tournaments.

"The role involves coaching 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 remarked in an interview.

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

Looking Back at the Period

Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats 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 ridiculous 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching is."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Views on the Tennis Schedule

The conversation turned to the modern 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, believing 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 susceptible to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 actually an issue."