🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Wanted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Stint In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced 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 noted. "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 entails." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the current 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 be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that shows 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 explained. "When you're more exhausted, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are feeling 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 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 long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be extremely challenging," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Stint In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is happy he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced 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 noted. "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 entails." An Intimidating Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray said he "could have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the current 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 be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that shows 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 explained. "When you're more exhausted, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are feeling 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."