Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Assessing the Experience

Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.

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

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats 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 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing 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 psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view 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 genuinely an issue."