🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments. "You're working with 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 goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 extraordinary 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had been 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 weary and worn out mentally 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 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 truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments. "You're working with 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 goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 extraordinary 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had been 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 weary and worn out mentally 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 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 truly an issue."