Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year.

In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked 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 remarked in an interview.

He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Looking Back at the Period

In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.

During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Afterwards, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 recalled.

"After the injury, it was undoubtedly 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 entails."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Views on the Tennis Schedule

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

Murray, who was hindered 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 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 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 sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."