🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint 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 beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats 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 undoubtedly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued 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 vulnerable 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 claimed 25 victories out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership ended after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint 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 beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his return, Djokovic experienced opening-round defeats 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 undoubtedly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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 indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued 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 vulnerable 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."