Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results with Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who concluded his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year.

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of 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 extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Assessing the Period

Looking back, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured 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 sensational 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 learned a lot about what coaching entails."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an story 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, 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 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 explained.

"When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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."