🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes with Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his first-ever 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. "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 remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "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 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 invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had been against 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 fatigued and mentally more fatigued 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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 meetings against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably fell short of the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure mentoring his former rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who finalized his professional career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration concluded after only half a year. In his first-ever 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. "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 remarked in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Reflecting on the Experience Upon reflection, Murray stated that he is glad he undertook the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said. During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Afterwards, 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 extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled. "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 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 invited to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating." Reflecting on his own stellar playing career, Murray admitted he "should have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Opinion About the Tennis Schedule The conversation moved onto the current tennis calendar, a topic of debate among top players. Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had been against 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 fatigued and mentally more fatigued 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 taxing than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."