🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded 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 Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching is." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was affected 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 suggests 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 commented. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible 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 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 claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership concluded 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 Australian Open in 2025 and a handful of 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 immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his match against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching is." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "should have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was affected 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 suggests 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 commented. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible 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 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."