🔗 Share this article Murray Admits He Fell Short of the Targeted Results for Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and several additional 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 expectation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Experience Looking back, Murray expressed that he is happy 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 compelled to withdraw injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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 gained valuable insight about what coaching entails." A Challenging 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 suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are sensing 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 actually an issue."
Novak Djokovic secured 25 victories out of 36 matches against his fierce competitor Andy Murray. Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have hoped for" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic. Murray, who concluded his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, joined Djokovic's staff last November, but the partnership 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 2025 Australian Open and several additional 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 expectation was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray noted in an interview. He added, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he approaches his tennis, [it] is highly intense." Assessing the Experience Looking back, Murray expressed that he is happy 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 compelled to withdraw injured from his clash against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic endured first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before being defeated 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 ridiculous tennis in that tournament," Murray said. "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 gained valuable insight about what coaching entails." A Challenging 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 suffered through calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "awkward." Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray said he "would have taken more breaks" to relish his successes, including after his two Olympic victories. Views on the Tennis Tour The conversation turned to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of debate 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, believing the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players. "I don't think there's anything that indicates players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and worn out mentally than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained. "When you're more fatigued, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that's what players are sensing 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 actually an issue."