Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 anticipation 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 approaches his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Stint

Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

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

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats 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 recalled.

"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 involves."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked 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 "embarrassing."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."