🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Looking Back at the Period Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot 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 asked to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible 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 grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 wins out of 36 encounters against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration ended after only half a year. In his maiden coaching role, 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a demanding individual in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Looking Back at the Period Looking back, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire with an injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, 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 regrettable what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational 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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot 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 asked to join Djokovic on a run. He suffered through calf cramps so as not to fail his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Schedule The conversation shifted to the current tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his final seasons, had been against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to 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 worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible 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 grueling than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's actually an issue."