Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of 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 noted in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Reflecting on the Experience

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy 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 make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was a shame what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"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 Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through 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 reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had opposed 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are feeling 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."