Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year.
In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."
Reflecting on the Period
Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.
During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.
Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is."
A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating."
Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Opinion About the Tennis Schedule
The conversation shifted to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.
Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had been 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 suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary 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 vulnerable 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."