Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year.

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three 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 expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Looking Back at the Stint

In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured first-round losses 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 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 learned a lot about what coaching entails."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also shared an story 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Views on the Tennis Tour

The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players.

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm players.

"I don't think there's anything that indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more tired, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are feeling 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."