🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden 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. "It's a job 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 noted in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable 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. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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." A Challenging 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 suffered through calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "awkward." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Opinion About the Tennis Tour The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 tired and mentally more fatigued 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 belief is that's what players are feeling 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 victories out of 36 encounters against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden 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. "It's a job 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 noted in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable 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. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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." A Challenging 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 suffered through calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "awkward." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Opinion About the Tennis Tour The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 tired and mentally more fatigued 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 belief is that's what players are feeling 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."