Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked 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 anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.

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

Assessing the Experience

In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had opposed 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 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 sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are feeling 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."