🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 wins out of 36 meetings against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other 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 immensely difficult," 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." Reflecting on the Period Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "After the injury, it was definitely a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails." A Demanding 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "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 Tour The conversation shifted to the current 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, saying 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 tired 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 sensitive 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 wins out of 36 meetings against his longstanding competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other 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 immensely difficult," 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." Reflecting on the Period Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "After the injury, it was definitely a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails." A Demanding 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 fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "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 Tour The conversation shifted to the current 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, saying 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 tired 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 sensitive 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."