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

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

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year.

In his maiden position as a coach, 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.

"The role involves 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 remarked in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 noted.

"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 is."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing."

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

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed 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 explained.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing now, just being away for longer.

"I don't think the matches are so much more taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."