Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year.

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three 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 noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 extraordinary 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

Murray also disclosed an story 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

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

Views on the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was plagued 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 suggests 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 stated.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more susceptible 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 grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."