Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic

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

Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year.

In his maiden 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.

"It's a job coaching 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 goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Assessing the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an incredible 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 had to pull out with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 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 disappointed. 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 Playing Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own successful 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 Calendar

The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying 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 tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling 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."