Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic
Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year.
In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."
Assessing the Stint
In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is glad 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 had to pull out with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.
Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats 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 ridiculous 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 is."
A Demanding Start and Career Reflections
Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced 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 reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Views on the Tennis Calendar
The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.
Murray, who was plagued 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 negatively impact players.
"I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.
"When you're more fatigued, 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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."