Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration 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.
"It's a job 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 exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.
He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."
Assessing the Stint
In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an amazing 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 injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.
Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."
A Challenging 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 endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."
Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Opinion About the Tennis Schedule
The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.
"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 genuinely an issue."
