TENNIS – Defending Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has appointed former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach on the day of Rafa Nadal’s ninth triumph at the Roland Garros. The former French star will help Murray during the upcoming grass season where he will defend both the Queen’s and the Wimbledon titles won last year. Diego Sampaolo
Murray has played without a coach since he split from Ivan Lendl who guided to the Olympic gold medal and the US Open title in 2012 and the Wimbledon triumph in 2013 (the first by a Briton since Fred Perry in 1936). He has had a season of ups and downs so far in 2014 since his back surgery last autumn but his form has improved in recent weeks. He reached the quarter final in Rome (losing a close match against Rafa Nadal) and the semifinal at the Roland Garros where he lost against the “King of Clay” Nadal.
With Mauresmo Murray will have the right person with the necessary experience to guide the Scotsman to win other Grand Slams. Mauresmo won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006 and the Olympic silver in 2004. She won 25 WTA career titles and reached the World Number 1 spot for five weeks in 2004 and for 34 weeks in 2006.
Mauresmo, who is currently coaching the French Fed Cup team, had already guided Michael Llodra during the 2010 grass season and helped to Marion Bartoli’s Wimbledon triumph last year.
“I am excited by the possibilities of the new partnership. Amelie is someone I have been looking up to and admired. I have already a coaching coaching team in place. I think Amelie brings with her experience and tactical expertise and will push us to improve. She won Wimbledon and the Australian Open and was the World Number 1. She is very calm. She is a very good person. We will communicate well together”, said Murray.
It is not the first time that a male player is trained by a female coach. Murray was previously coached by his mother Judy. In the past Tim Mayotte was coached by Billie Jean King in the 1990s. Jimmy Connors and Marat Safin were coached by their mothers. The most recent example of player coached by a female trainer is World Number 49 Denis Istomin who is guided by his mother Klaudiya.
“I worked with my mother for a long time. It doesn’t feel like a very different thing. I have always had a strong female influence during my career”, said Murray
Billie Jean King, 39-time Grand Slam champion, said that the gender is not important but there are far more important factors who can have an impact on how the relationship works. “It’s the strength of the relationship between the coach and the player that makes the partnership work. Women have coached men for years. What is important is that this is what Andy feels is better for his current situation”.
Murray first contacted Mauresmo a few weeks ago. and admitted that it was a bit of surprise.
“I am happy about the new challenge. I am really excited to be able to work with Andy. He is an amazingly talented player and I feel I have plenty to offer to him and the team around him”, said Mauresmo.
During a press conference held during the Roland Garros following the appointment, Mauresmo admitted that Murray’s call came as a surprise: “Andy contacted me a few weeks ago. and we started talking about the possibility to be working together. It was little bit of a surprise. It’s not something I was thinking of doing when I stopped playing tennis. It’s a major event in the world of tennis. It’s a professional goal for me. This is what I am interested in”, said Mauresmo
He is looking for something different, about emotions and sensitive things. All I am interested in is to be able to help him in his goals. It’s a challenge. I want to take it. The point for him is to win more Grand Slams. Of course he is going to defend his title at Wimbledon. It’s not going to be easy. Miracles do not happen overnight.
Mauresmo continues the recent tradition of former stars who have been hired by present top players. Murray himself was the first to look for the help of a former legend and hired Ivan Lendl in 2012. At the end of 2013 some players announced the appointment of past players as their coaches. Boris Becker started his coaching relationship with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and has guided him to wins in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo. Stefan Edberg has helped Roger Federer win in Dubai and reach the finals in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo. Michael Chang has guided Kei Nishikori to his first European clay win in Barcelona and to his first Master 1000 final in Madrid. Martina Hingis is now coaching Sabine Lisicki. Goran Ivanisevic is the coach of Marin Cilic.
The appointment of Mauresmo comes as a surprise to many but the Frenchwoman could be the right person at the right moment especially because she could provide him the best advice on improving his net game.
“I am not sure how she is going to get in the locker room. I think a few eyebrows will be raised. She has got all the credentials. She is smart and she a great game and Andy is not going just to pick someone for no reason. He is going to have to have done his home work. It’s a matter of him putting it together. If she can add something there I think it’s a great choice. Most people will probably be surprised but ..it may work well. I believe Andy has plenty of room to improve around the net. That would make him a better player and Amelie was a fantastic player around the net”, said former Australian star and 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash.
