Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended 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 2025 Australian Open and a handful of 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."

Reflecting on the Stint

Looking back, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured early exits 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"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 learned a lot about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour

The conversation shifted to the current 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, saying the increased time on the road would harm 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 commented.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are sensing 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."