Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure guiding his one-time rival, Novak Djokovic.
Murray, who concluded his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, became part of Djokovic's team last November, but the arrangement ended after only half a year.
In his first-ever position as a coach, the 38-year-old Murray worked with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2025 and three other tournaments.
"The role involves 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 extremely challenging," Murray noted in an interview.
He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is incredibly rigorous."
In retrospect, Murray conveyed that he is pleased he accepted the role. "It's an amazing experience that I've had," he observed.
During their time together, Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his clash against Alexander Zverev.
Subsequently, upon his comeback, 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 ridiculous 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 learned a lot about what coaching involves."
Murray also recounted an anecdote 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 successful playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of concern 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, arguing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.
"I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more fatigued and psychologically drained than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.
"When you're more exhausted, you're more vulnerable to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are sensing now, just being away for longer.
"I don't think the matches are so much more demanding 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."
An avid hiker and nature photographer with a passion for exploring the Italian Alps and sharing travel insights.
News