Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic
Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership dissolved 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 several additional tournaments.
"The role involves 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 incredibly rigorous."
Assessing the Experience
In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.
Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured 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 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is."
An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also disclosed an anecdote 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 described as "embarrassing."
Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.
Opinion About the Tennis Calendar
The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.
Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.
"I don't think there's anything that indicates 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 stated.
"When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are sensing now, just being away for longer.
"I don't think the matches are so much more demanding 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."
