Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic
Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year.
In his maiden 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 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 tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."
Assessing the Stint
Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Following that, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary 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 involves."
An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to disappoint 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 victories.
Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule
The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion 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 be detrimental to 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 mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.
"When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
