Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded 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.

"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 extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Assessing the Experience

Looking back, Murray stated that he is pleased he undertook 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 had to pull out with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his return, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous 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 learned a lot about what coaching entails."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

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

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.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour

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

Murray, who was plagued 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 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 exhausted, you're more sensitive 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."