Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired 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 past rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden 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.

"You're working with 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 exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented.

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

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic endured early exits 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 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."

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

Views on the Tennis Schedule

The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, arguing 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 tired and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are feeling 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."