Andy Murray 'disappointed' by results during Novak Djokovic partnership, but says 24-time Grand Slam champion played 'ridiculous tennis'
Published 01/12/2025 at 16:14 GMT
Former British No. 1 Andy Murray says that he did not get the results he wanted while coaching 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic this year. Murray linked up with his former rival in November 2024 and helped him reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open. However, things went downhill for the Serbian star after he was forced to withdraw from the Grand Slam with an injury.
Djokovic felt he 'couldn't get more out of partnership' with Murray
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Andy Murray admits that he did not get the results that he wanted during his brief stint coaching 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The former British No. 1 joined the Serbian star’s coaching team in November 2024, helping his former rival to the semi-finals of the 2025 Australian Open.
Djokovic was forced to withdraw from his semi-final with Alexander Zverev due to injury and subsequently struggled to regain his form, joining forces with Murray at three more tournaments before the pair parted ways in May 2025.
The 38-year-old believes that the former world No. 1 endured a difficult few months after suffering a left leg muscle tear during the Australian Open.
"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," said Murray during an interview with The Tennis Podcast.
"Novak, like myself, is a challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis - [it] is extremely demanding.
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"I look back on it and I'm glad that I did it. It's an amazing experience that I've had.
"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament.
"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."
Djokovic impressed at the 2025 Australian Open, battling back from a set down to beat current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
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Djokovic forced to retire injured in semi-final against Zverev - Australian Open highlights
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After recovering from his left leg muscle tear, he was eliminated from the first round of the Qatar Open and Indian Wells.
He did reach the final of the Miami Open, but was beaten 7-6 7-6 by Jakub Mensik of Czechia.
A lot has been made of the ATP Tour’s schedule over recent months, and Murray says that players are more exhausted than ever before due to the amount of time they spend travelling each season.
"I don't think there's anything that suggests players are getting injured more than before," he added.
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"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.
"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."
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