Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

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

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Looking Back at the Period

Looking back, Murray stated that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his return, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an anecdote 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Views on the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying 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 stated.

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