Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have liked" during his six-month tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year.

In his debut 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.

"The role involves coaching not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my expectation 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."

Reflecting on the Stint

Looking back, Murray stated that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said.

"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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Career Reflections

Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar

The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.

"I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."