🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 assumption 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 tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching is." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident 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 "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are sensing 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 genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 assumption 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 tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats 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 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching is." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident 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 "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are sensing 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 genuinely an issue."