Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup 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.

"You're working with not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my expectation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.

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

Looking Back at the Stint

Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had opposed 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 suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired 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 vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 actually an issue."