🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Period In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted. "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 let down. 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 story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Opinion About the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 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 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic won 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his long-time rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has commented that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his brief tenure coaching his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his maiden position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 remarked in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding." Reflecting on the Period In retrospect, Murray stated that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out injured from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic endured early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. "It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted. "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 let down. 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 story from his first day on the job, when he was asked to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "humiliating." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Opinion About the Tennis Tour The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his final seasons, had voted against 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 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 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 quantity of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."