Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement ended 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 Australian Open in 2025 and three 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 assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."
Reflecting on the Experience
Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.
"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."
A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 labeled "embarrassing."
Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Opinion About the Tennis Schedule
The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.
Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against 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 suggests 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 exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are sensing 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."