Andy Murray has described the beginning of his brief stint coaching long-time rival Novak Djokovic as "embarrassing," after suffering a painful cramp during their very first training session together.
A Surprising Partnership and a Painful Start
The shock announcement in November 2024 that the retired British star would mentor the Serbian legend sent waves through the tennis world. However, Murray's inaugural day at Djokovic's training camp did not go to plan. Reflecting on the partnership in an interview with The Tennis Podcast, the 38-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion recounted an awkward moment that set the tone.
After a tennis session, Djokovic's physical trainer invited Murray to join the world number one for a gentle, 50-minute run in a park. "I didn’t run since I was like 25," Murray admitted, explaining he felt compelled to accept on his first day in the job. Despite assurances it would be a slow pace, Murray's left calf cramped after just four or five minutes.
"I was in so much pain," he said. "I felt like I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to show to him this is someone I’ve been competing against for such a long time and after five minutes he’s struggling training with me." Murray toughed out the entire run, later describing the incident as a "pretty embarrassing moment."
A Promising Start Cut Short by Injury
The pair worked together during the 2025 Australian Open, where Murray praised Djokovic for playing "ridiculous tennis" to reach the semi-finals. The Serbian secured a stunning win over Carlos Alcaraz but sustained a knee injury during that match, which forced him to withdraw after the first set.
Following Melbourne, Djokovic's form dipped dramatically. He suffered first-round exits in four of his next five tournaments and lost in the final of the Miami Open. The coaching partnership, labelled 'mutual', was dissolved in May 2025, just six months after it began.
Murray expressed his disappointment at being unable to help Djokovic achieve better results during this difficult period. "I put everything into it that I had, I tried my hardest to help him," he stated. "After the injury it was certainly a difficult few months for him... I was disappointed we didn't get the results I would have liked for him."
Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead
Despite the partnership's short duration and lack of silverware, Murray views the experience positively. He called it an "amazing experience" that taught him a lot about the realities of coaching. "Because it was throwing yourself in the deep end, you find out about your strengths and weaknesses as a coach," he reflected.
Djokovic, now 38, eventually found his footing later in the 2025 season, reaching all four Grand Slam finals. However, he was unable to clinch a major title, with the season being dominated by the younger duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
This leaves the Serbian superstar facing a significant challenge in his ongoing quest to secure a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title, with time increasingly becoming a factor. As for Murray, his foray into coaching one of the sport's greatest rivals provided a unique, if sometimes painfully awkward, chapter in his storied tennis career.
