🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" 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, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his debut 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. "You're working with not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Experience Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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 negatively impact players. "I don't think there's anything that indicates 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 stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" 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, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his debut 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. "You're working with not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Experience Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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 negatively impact players. "I don't think there's anything that indicates 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 stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."