🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his fierce rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Experience In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 ridiculous 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Challenging Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 labeled "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was hindered 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 indicates 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 exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his fierce rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Experience In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 ridiculous 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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Challenging Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 labeled "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was hindered 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 indicates 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 exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My belief 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."