Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes for Djokovic
Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup 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 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 expectation was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.
He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense."
Reflecting on the Period
In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.
"After the injury, it was certainly 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is."
A Challenging Start and Career Reflections
Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 labeled "embarrassing."
Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule
The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.
Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.
"I don't think there's anything that suggests 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 commented.
"When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable 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 grueling 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."
