Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments.

"You're working with 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.

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

Assessing the Period

Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured 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 undoubtedly 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

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

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are sensing 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."