🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 matches against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching involves." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an story 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Views on the Tennis Calendar The conversation turned to 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, arguing the increased time on the road would negatively impact 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 stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 grueling 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 claimed 25 wins out of 36 matches against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure guiding his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats 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 let down. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching involves." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an story 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Views on the Tennis Calendar The conversation turned to 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, arguing the increased time on the road would negatively impact 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 stated. "When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible 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 grueling 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."