🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded 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 three 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 assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Experience In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable 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 injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 sensational 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote 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 called "awkward." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, 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 shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary 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 sensitive 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 grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement concluded 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 three 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 assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Experience In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable 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 injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 sensational 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Demanding Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote 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 called "awkward." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, 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 shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary 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 sensitive 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 grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."