🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches 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 six-month tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Experience In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Views on the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My view 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 amount 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 long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Experience In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Views on the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My view 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."