Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results with Djokovic

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

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration ended 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 Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments.

"You're working with not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my assumption was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Period

Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

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

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"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 gained valuable insight about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows 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 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 taxing 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."