🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended 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. "The role involves coaching 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Reflecting on the Stint Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an amazing 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 match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 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." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered 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 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 explained. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended 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. "The role involves coaching 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Reflecting on the Stint Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an amazing 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 match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 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." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered 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 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 explained. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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."