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

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

Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup 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 Australian Open in 2025 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 assumption 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 approaches his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Assessing the Period

In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

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

"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 learned a lot about what coaching is."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

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

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Schedule

The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling 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 truly an issue."