🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three other 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Experience In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 said. "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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 tired and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered Djokovic's team last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three other 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 exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Experience In retrospect, Murray expressed that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic suffered first-round losses 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 said. "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 disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was invited 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 labeled "embarrassing." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 tired and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more exhausted, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."