Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other tournaments.

"The role involves coaching 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 exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Assessing the Stint

Looking back, Murray stated that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said.

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

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails."

A Challenging 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 experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

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

Views on the Tennis Schedule

The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 fatigued and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more tired, 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 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."