Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results with Djokovic
Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year.
In his debut position as a coach, 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."
Reflecting on the Period
Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.
Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."
An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections
Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "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 triumphs.
Opinion About the Tennis Schedule
The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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, believing 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 tired 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 vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling 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."