🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his fierce rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year. In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, 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 regrettable 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Views on the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 weary and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more tired, you're more sensitive 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 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 encounters against his fierce rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year. In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, 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 regrettable 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching entails." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Views on the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 weary and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more tired, you're more sensitive 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 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."