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

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year.

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

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 said.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"After the injury, it was certainly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching is."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an story 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would negatively impact 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 psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive 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 grueling 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."