Murray: Disappointed with the outcome of coaching Djokovic, but does not regret the decision

Murray, who had a short coaching stint with Djokovic this year, discussed their collaboration in a recent interview on The Tennis Podcast. He said that despite feeling "disappointed" by the outcome, he does not regret the choice he made. Murray announced his role on Djokovic’s coaching staff in November 2024, following his retirement at the Paris Olympics last year. However, this "powerful partnership" lasted only six months, during which they worked together in six tournaments including the Australian Open.

Murray (left) and Djokovic (right)

"Looking back on the experience, I’m glad I made that decision," Murray said. "It was an extraordinary life experience. Although the time was short, I gave it my all. The results were disappointing, and maybe I wasn’t able to help him achieve the ideal outcomes. It was a very valuable opportunity because I always felt that one day I would go into coaching. If I had given up then, I might have looked back and thought: that period could have been so interesting, and I could have gained experience from it, which I might have regretted missing out on."

Murray originally planned to coach Djokovic through the French Open this year, but they decided to end their partnership early in May. Murray commented, "At first, everything went smoothly, but unfortunately he got injured at the Australian Open. However, his performance there was outstanding. After the injury, he went through some tough months, which was hard for his team and all of us. I learned a lot about coaching during this time, fully committed myself to helping him, and built a good relationship with his team."

(Text and editing by Wang Fei, photos by Li Jianyi)