Andy Murray expressed disappointment over Novak Djokovic’s campaign at the Australian Open. The Serb was forced to withdraw due to injury, handing a walkover to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev after dropping the opening set of their semifinal clash.

Murray joined his former rival’s team after retiring following the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Australian Open marked the first tournament where he watched Djokovic from the Serb’s coaching box.

The Scot expected nothing less than an extreme challenge when working with one of the greatest athletes in the world. During his interview with The Tennis Podcast, Murray spoke in detail about his experience coaching Djokovic, even revealing his most “embarrassing moment” — agreeing to join the Serb for a slow 50-minute run and ending up completely exhausted.

I mean, you’re obviously working with…he’s not just one of the best tennis players, one of the best athletes of all time. You know, so my expectation was that it was going to be extremely challenging. You know, Novak, like myself, you know, challenging character in terms of the way he goes about his tennis is extremely demanding, and you know, I fully expected that… And yeah, I look back on it, and I’m glad that I did it. It’s an amazing experience that I’ve had. I’ve learned a bit; obviously, it didn’t last that long.

En route to his exit at the Australian Open, Djokovic defeated none other than Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Under Murray’s guidance, Djokovic not only reached the Australian Open semifinal but also advanced to the Miami Open final, where he ultimately fell short against the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik.

He also suffered early exits at both the Qatar Open and Indian Wells. Initially, Djokovic had planned to continue the partnership through the French Open, but after disappointing defeats at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open, the two ultimately parted ways.