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

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

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

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 extremely challenging," 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 incredibly rigorous."

Assessing the Stint

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.

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

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, 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 tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable 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 truly an issue."