Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic

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

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

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

"It's a job coaching 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Reflecting on the Stint

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased 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 forced to retire injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured 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 said.

"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 learned a lot about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Career 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "should 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 modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had opposed 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 tired and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

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