🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 matches against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Looking back, Murray expressed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured 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 unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "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 gained valuable insight about what coaching involves." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 described as "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying 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 weary and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable 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 claimed 25 wins out of 36 matches against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Looking back, Murray expressed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured 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 unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "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 gained valuable insight about what coaching involves." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 described as "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying 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 weary and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable 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."