Murray Concedes 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 past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, 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 immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Assessing the Period

Looking back, Murray expressed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was a shame what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"After the injury, it was certainly 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 is."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Calendar

The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his latter career, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.

"I don't think there's anything that indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and mentally more fatigued 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 feeling is that's what players are feeling 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."