Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic

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

Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup 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 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments.

"It's a job coaching 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Assessing the Experience

Looking back, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

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

"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 came away wiser about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour

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

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 stated.

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