Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments.

"You're working with 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 went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Reflecting on the Stint

Looking back, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

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

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

The conversation shifted to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows 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 commented.

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