🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 wins out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Assessing the Experience Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses 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 sensational 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. 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 latter career, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are sensing 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 wins out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Assessing the Experience Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses 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 sensational 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. 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 latter career, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are sensing 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."