🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Assessing the Stint In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. 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 contest against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 recalled. "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 entails." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would harm players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Assessing the Stint In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. 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 contest against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 recalled. "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 entails." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would harm players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."