Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year.

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic beat 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 return, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching involves."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had opposed 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 shows 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 tired, you're more sensitive 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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."