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

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Assessing the Experience

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

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 extraordinary 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an anecdote 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 labeled "awkward."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion 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 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 mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 grueling 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."