Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership concluded 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 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 expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."
Assessing the Stint
In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Following that, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray said.
"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 came away wiser about what coaching entails."
An Intimidating 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."
Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Opinion About the Tennis Schedule
The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.
Murray, who was hindered 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 be detrimental to players.
"I don't think there's anything that shows 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 exhausted, 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
