Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Results for Djokovic
Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year.
In his debut coaching role, 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 anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview.
He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."
Looking Back at the Period
Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev.
Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered early exits 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 noted.
"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 disclosed an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."
Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Opinion About the Tennis Calendar
The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players.
Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 indicates 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 explained.
"When you're more exhausted, you're more susceptible 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 genuinely an issue."