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 liked" during his six-month tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration ended 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 a handful of other tournaments.

"The role involves 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 said in an interview.

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

Reflecting on the Experience

Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was a shame what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"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 learned a lot about what coaching is."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also recounted 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 "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Views on the Tennis Calendar

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

Murray, who was plagued 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 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 tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are feeling 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 genuinely an issue."