Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his professional 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 partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Looking Back at the Period

Looking back, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic experienced 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 entails."

A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an incident 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 described as "awkward."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Opinion About the Tennis Calendar

The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are feeling 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 actually an issue."