Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic

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

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

In his first-ever 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Period

Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed an story from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 described as "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against 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 weary and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are sensing 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."