🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 matches against his fierce rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments. "The role involves 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Experience Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook 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 forced to retire due to 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted. "After the injury, it was certainly 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 Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 indicates 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 commented. "When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 matches against his fierce rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments. "The role involves 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Experience Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook 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 forced to retire due to 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted. "After the injury, it was certainly 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 Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 indicates 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 commented. "When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."