🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year. In his debut 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. "It's a job coaching 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 extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Stint In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured 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 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." 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 Schedule The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, 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 weary and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are feeling 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 actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded after only half a year. In his debut 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. "It's a job coaching 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 extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Stint In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured 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 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." 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 Schedule The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, 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 weary and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are feeling 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 actually an issue."