Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results with Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who finalized his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's staff 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 Australian Open in 2025 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 immensely difficult," 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 incredibly rigorous."
Looking Back at the Experience
Looking back, Murray expressed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails."
A Challenging Start and Playing 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing."
Reflecting on his own successful 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 Tour
The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.
Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 weary and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.
"When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are experiencing now, just being away for longer.
"I don't think the matches are so much more taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."