Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of other tournaments.

"The role involves coaching not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Experience

In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats 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 sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

A Demanding Start and Playing 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had been against 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 shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

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