Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year.

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray said 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."

Reflecting on the Stint

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an amazing 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 injured from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, 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 said.

"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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an story 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating."

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

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had opposed 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 weary and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more exhausted, 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 truly an issue."