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Andy Murray ‘disappointed’ with results in coaching stint with Novak Djokovic

2025-12-02 09:27
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Andy Murray ‘disappointed’ with results in coaching stint with Novak Djokovic

The Scot described working with his former rival as an “amazing experience” but “extremely demanding”

  1. Sport
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Andy Murray ‘disappointed’ with results in coaching stint with Novak Djokovic

The Scot described working with his former rival as an “amazing experience” but “extremely demanding”

Flo CliffordTuesday 02 December 2025 09:27 GMTCommentsDjokovic and Murray spent six months working togetheropen image in galleryDjokovic and Murray spent six months working together (Getty Images)Miguel Delaney: Inside Football

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Andy Murray said he “probably didn't get the results I would have liked” in his stint coaching former rival Novak Djokovic.

Three-time major champion Murray joined Djokovic’s coaching team in November 2024 after calling time on his career at the Paris Olympics.

A promising first tournament saw the Serb reach the Australian Open semi-finals before retiring injured, but later tournaments did not produce the same results and the pair ended their association in May, shortly before this year's French Open.

“I look back on it and I'm glad I did it,” Murray said on The Athletic's The Tennis Podcast.

“It's an amazing experience that I've had. It didn't last long but I put everything into it. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him.

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“It was a good opportunity because I felt I wanted to coach at some stage and if I didn't take it I might look back and think it would have been really interesting, I could have learned a lot, or potentially regretted it.”

The partnership dominated headlines as the two former rivals joined forces, with Murray choosing one of the sport’s highest-profile players to work with in his first coaching role.

He 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.”

The pair worked together in Indian Wells but Djokovic lost in the first roundopen image in galleryThe pair worked together in Indian Wells but Djokovic lost in the first round (Getty)

Under his tutelage Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to reach the last four in Melbourne, but the 24-time grand slam champion suffered a hamstring injury and retired after one set against Alexander Zverev.

After his return from injury Djokovic endured back-to-back first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before making the final in Miami but losing to talented 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 learned a lot about what coaching is. I was fully invested, tried my hardest to help, and made some good relationships along the way with his team.”

Murray said he would be open to a new coaching role with the experience he had gained during his time with the Serb.

“I think it's important for a coach to bring good energy,” the 38-year-old added. “It's something that if I ever coached again, I would work on and try to do a better job of it.”

Additional reporting by Reuters

More about

Andy MurrayNovak DjokovicAustralian OpenFrench OpenIndian WellsCarlos AlcarazAlexander Zverev

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