Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year.

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up 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 assumption was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Stint

In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, 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 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 undoubtedly 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 entails."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "awkward."

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

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour

The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was affected 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 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 fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more tired, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."