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

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and several additional 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 immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Looking Back at the Stint

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

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

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic suffered early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching involves."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 called "humiliating."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing the increased time on the road would harm players.

"I don't think there's anything that suggests 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 commented.

"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 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."