Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up 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 expectation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Reflecting on the Period

Looking back, Murray expressed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic beat 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 suffered opening-round defeats 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 said.

"After the injury, it was definitely 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 is."

A Challenging Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

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

Views on the Tennis Schedule

The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive 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 grueling 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."