🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 matches against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments. "The role involves 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 exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Reflecting on the Experience Looking back, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic experienced first-round losses 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 undoubtedly 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are feeling 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 genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 matches against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the partnership dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments. "The role involves 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 exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Reflecting on the Experience Looking back, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic experienced first-round losses 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 undoubtedly 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are feeling 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 genuinely an issue."