Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year.

In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.

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

Assessing the Stint

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching is."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "awkward."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Tour

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

Murray, who was affected 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 fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more exhausted, 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."