🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Stint Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate 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 learned a lot about what coaching is." A Challenging Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Stint Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate 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 learned a lot about what coaching is." A Challenging Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."