🔗 Share this article Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments. "The role involves 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 immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Looking back, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "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. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players. "I don't think there's anything that shows 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 tired, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are sensing 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments. "The role involves 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 immensely difficult," Murray noted in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Looking back, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "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 gained valuable insight about what coaching is." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote from his first day on the job, when he was told 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 "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. Opinion About the Tennis Calendar The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his latter career, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players. "I don't think there's anything that shows 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 tired, you're more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are sensing 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."