🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Desired Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "After the injury, it was definitely 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked 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 stellar playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more exhausted, 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure guiding his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and several additional 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 anticipation was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "After the injury, it was definitely 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 came away wiser about what coaching involves." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also recounted an story from his first day on the job, when he was asked 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 stellar playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more exhausted, 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 demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."