🔗 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 fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments. "You're working with 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 tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Stint Looking back, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had voted 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 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 tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are experiencing 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 genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments. "You're working with 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 tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Stint Looking back, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching entails." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had voted 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 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 tired, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are experiencing 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 genuinely an issue."