🔗 Share this article Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Targeted Outcomes for Djokovic Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure guiding his one-time 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 arrangement ended after only half a year. In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Period Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 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 entails." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "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. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar The conversation shifted to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 harm players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and psychologically drained 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."
Novak Djokovic claimed 25 victories out of 36 encounters against his longstanding rival Andy Murray. Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably fell short of the results I would have wanted" during his short-lived tenure guiding his one-time 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 arrangement ended after only half a year. In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered 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 assumption was that it was going to be exceptionally tough," Murray said in an interview. He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous." Looking Back at the Period Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he commented. During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was compelled to withdraw due to injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev. Following that, upon his return, Djokovic suffered opening-round defeats in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing 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 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 entails." A Demanding Start and Career Reflections Murray also shared an anecdote 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 disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he labeled "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. Perspective Regarding the Tennis Calendar The conversation shifted to the modern tennis calendar, a topic of concern among top players. Murray, who was plagued 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 harm players. "I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and psychologically drained 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 volume of time that players are away on the road that's genuinely an issue."