Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year.
In his debut 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.
He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense."
Looking Back at the Period
Looking back, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.
During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his match against Alexander Zverev.
Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.
"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 is."
An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections
Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating."
Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Views on the Tennis Schedule
The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.
Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, 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 shows 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 susceptible 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 grueling 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."
