Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic

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

Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup 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 a handful of other tournaments.

"You're working with 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

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

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured first-round losses 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 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an incident 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would negatively impact 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 psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are experiencing 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 actually an issue."