Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year.

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other tournaments.

"The role involves 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 exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Stint

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

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his clash 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 sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Calendar

The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, saying 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 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."