Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Period

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

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

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 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 came away wiser about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted an anecdote 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 called "embarrassing."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

"I don't think there's anything that indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are experiencing 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 genuinely an issue."