Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented 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 concluded his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year.
In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three 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 noted in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."
Reflecting on the Period
In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said.
During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 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 disheartened. 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 Career Reflections
Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward."
Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule
The conversation turned to the modern 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 harm 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 tired, you're more susceptible 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."