Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results with Djokovic

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

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

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked 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 expectation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Period

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable 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 forced to retire injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, 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 a shame what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"After the injury, it was certainly 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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation shifted to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had opposed 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 shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued 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 feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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 actually an issue."