Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year.

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Period

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

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

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

"After the injury, it was definitely a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked 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 successful playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Views on the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 worn out mentally 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 sensing 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."