🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic suffered 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 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would harm players. "I don't think there's anything that suggests 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 commented. "When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive 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 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 won 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray remarked in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Looking Back at the Stint Upon reflection, Murray expressed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic suffered 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 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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is." A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an incident from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray reflected he "could have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing the increased time on the road would harm players. "I don't think there's anything that suggests 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 commented. "When you're more fatigued, you're more sensitive 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 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."