Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired 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 former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Experience

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

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 undoubtedly 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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

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

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

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was hindered 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 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 weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."