Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year.
In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of 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 expectation 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 highly intense."
Looking Back at the Period
Looking back, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
"It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.
"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 involves."
An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."
Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Views on the Tennis Tour
The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.
Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, 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 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 fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 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."
