🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Wanted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 meetings against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Period Looking back, Murray stated 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 reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 noted. "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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident 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 called "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 fatigued and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible 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 actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 wins out of 36 meetings against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his short-lived tenure mentoring his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his illustrious career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year. In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 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 immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Period Looking back, Murray stated 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 reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits 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 noted. "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 disheartened. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching is." An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections Murray also disclosed an incident 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 called "awkward." Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation shifted to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was affected by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, arguing 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 fatigued and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated. "When you're more tired, you're more susceptible 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 actually an issue."