🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments. "You're working with 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 remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Looking Back at the Period Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in 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 sensational 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had been against 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 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 susceptible 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 truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional tournaments. "You're working with 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 remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Looking Back at the Period Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated in 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 sensational 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had been against 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 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 susceptible 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 truly an issue."