🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other 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 extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves." 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 suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating." 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 Schedule The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm 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 mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his illustrious career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other 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 extremely challenging," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Assessing the Stint Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is happy he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching involves." 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 suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating." 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 Schedule The conversation turned to the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was plagued by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would harm 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 mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray commented. "When you're more tired, you're more vulnerable 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 amount of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."