🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results with Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 wins 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 wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up 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 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 extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Period In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary 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 learned a lot about what coaching entails." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail 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 gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had been 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and mentally more fatigued 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 belief is that's what players are feeling 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 genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 wins 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 wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement concluded after only half a year. In his debut position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up 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 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 extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Period In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 extraordinary 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 learned a lot about what coaching entails." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail 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 gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had been 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and mentally more fatigued 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 belief is that's what players are feeling 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 genuinely an issue."