🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 matches against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Stint Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 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 came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also shared an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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 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 tired 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 susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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 secured 25 victories out of 36 matches against his long-time competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his six-month tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Stint Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered 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 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 came away wiser about what coaching entails." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also shared an incident 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 let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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 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 tired 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 susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are experiencing 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."