Andy Murray, who was part of the “Big Four” alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic during his career, recently opened up about why the Swiss declined to practice with him, unlike Djokovic and Nadal.
Murray and Federer faced each other 25 times on the ATP Tour, with the latter winning 14 of those matches. Their last meeting was in the semifinals of the 2015 Cincinnati Open, where Federer triumphed with a score of 6-4, 7-6(6). He then went on to defeat Djokovic in the final, defending his title.
Andy Murray Mentions Why Roger Federer Refused To Practice With Him
Murray retired from professional tennis after competing in the doubles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Federer retired after playing his final match at the 2022 Laver Cup. Following their retirements, Federer has been enjoying life away from the tennis court, whereas Murray returned briefly to the tennis scene, coaching Djokovic for six months, from November 2024 to May 2025.
In a recent conversation on Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips channel, Murray revealed that he used to practice with Federer when he first joined the Tour. However, after a few years, the 20-time Grand Slam champion stopped practicing with him, as well as with Nadal and Djokovic, as he considered them to be his “competitors.”
“When I first started, I would practice with Federer. But after a year or two, he stopped; he wouldn’t practice with me anymore. He never practiced with Djokovic or Nadal, I think, because he considered them to be a competitor. I liked practicing with them just because it gave me the chance to see where my game was at,” Murray said.
Murray mentioned that he appreciated practicing with the Big Three because it allowed him to gauge his game. He clarified that he did not practice with them just before a “big match” but would train with them a few weeks prior to a major tournament.
“I wouldn’t practice with them a couple of days before a big match, but a couple of weeks out from a major tournament, then I would practice with those guys. I was never going for dinner with them. Whereas now I’d love to do that, see them a few times socially,” he added.
Murray, who turned pro in 2005, won three Grand Slam singles titles: the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, both of which he won by defeating Djokovic in the finals. His final Grand Slam title came at the 2016 London Major, where he triumphed over Milos Raonic.
In addition to his Grand Slam successes, Murray has won two gold medals and a silver medal for Great Britain at the Olympics, claimed the 2015 Davis Cup title, won the 2016 ATP Finals title, was ranked World No. 1 in singles in the ATP rankings, and has received several other accolades.
