Andy Murray says he “probably didn’t get the results I would have liked” for Novak Djokovic during his time coaching his former rival.
Murray, who ended his playing career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined Djokovic’s coaching team last November but they parted company after just six months.
In his first coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray partnered with 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments.
In an interview with The Tennis Podcast, Murray said: “You’re working with 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 extremely challenging.
“Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding.
“I look back on it and I’m glad that I did it. It’s an amazing experience that I’ve had.”
Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals at the Australian Open, but was forced to retire injured from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
On his return to action, Djokovic suffered first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells before losing 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 certainly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn’t get the results I would have liked for him. But I learned a lot about what coaching is.”
On his first day in the job, Murray was asked to join Djokovic on a run and suffered through calf cramps so as to not disappoint his fellow former world number one – a moment he described as “embarrassing”.
Reflecting on his own playing career, Murray said he “would have taken more breaks” to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic triumphs.
Tennis’ top players have voiced concerns about the sport’s calendar this year.
Murray, hindered by injuries during the latter years of his career, voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments two years ago and said 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 tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they’re spending more days away on the road,” said Murray.
“When you’re more fatigued, you’re more sensitive to pain and discomfort. My feeling is that’s what players are feeling 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.”
