Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results with Djokovic

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

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

In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other tournaments.

"You're working with 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 said in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."

Reflecting on the Period

In retrospect, Murray stated that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in 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 certainly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves."

A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also recounted an story 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 called "embarrassing."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.

Opinion About the Tennis Tour

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

Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had opposed 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 shows 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 exhausted, you're more susceptible 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."