🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of 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 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Stint Looking back, Murray expressed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his clash 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 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 certainly 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 entails." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an story 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed 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 weary 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 feeling 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 genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 matches against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have hoped for" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, became part of 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 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 anticipation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Stint Looking back, Murray expressed that he is glad he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire injured from his clash 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 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 certainly 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 entails." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also recounted an story 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation moved onto the modern tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had opposed 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 weary 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 feeling 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 genuinely an issue."