Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure coaching 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 collaboration ended after only half a year.

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.

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

Assessing the Stint

Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed.

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

Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an anecdote 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 called "awkward."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted 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 voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and psychologically drained 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."