Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year.
In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview.
He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."
Assessing the Stint
Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.
Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic endured first-round losses 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 ridiculous 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 is."
A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also shared an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating."
Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Opinion About the Tennis Calendar
The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.
Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing 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 tired 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 susceptible 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
