Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired 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 one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of other tournaments.

"It's a job 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 remarked in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Assessing the Period

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

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

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching involves."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 successful playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had been 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 indicates 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 tired, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My feeling 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."