Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement ended 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 2025 Australian Open and three other 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 extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."
Looking Back at the Experience
Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said.
During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Afterwards, 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 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 undoubtedly 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 disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "embarrassing."
Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Views on the Tennis Tour
The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.
Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had been 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 suggests 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 sensitive to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing now, just being away for longer.
"I don't think the matches are so much more demanding 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."
