Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Stint

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 noted.

"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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also disclosed 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his latter career, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would harm 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 psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."