🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins 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 liked" during his short-lived tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 extraordinary 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 is." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 described as "awkward." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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 be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that indicates 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 commented. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins 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 liked" during his short-lived tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 extraordinary 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 is." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 described as "awkward." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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 be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that indicates 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 commented. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."