🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three 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 exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Stint In retrospect, Murray stated 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 make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational 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 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 disclosed an story 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 labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing 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 fatigued and mentally more fatigued 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 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 won 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three 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 exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Stint In retrospect, Murray stated 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 make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational 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 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 disclosed an story 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 labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing 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 fatigued and mentally more fatigued 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 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."