Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 assumption was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Assessing the Period

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

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

Afterwards, 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an anecdote 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 called "awkward."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

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

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

"I don't think there's anything that indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired 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 view 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."