Andy Murray hires Ivan Lendl as coach for a third time

In a surprise move, the 34-year-old has turned again to the man who helped him win his three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic golds

Andy Murray Ivan Lendl AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Andy Murray will begin working with Ivan Lendl again later this month, the third time he’s called on the former world No 1 to be his coach.

Murray and Lendl will have an extended training block together after this month’s Miami event, designed to prepare Murray as best as possible for the grass-court season, in particular, Wimbledon. He had already confirmed that he will miss the clay-court season.

Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl
Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl, together in 2016 – AI / Reuters / Panoramic

The 34-year-old Scot, who won all three of his Grand Slam titles with Lendl, has been looking for a new coach since he split with Jamie Delgado last November. Murray will also look to hire another coach to be with him regularly on the Tour, and who will work closely with Lendl. He’s had trials with Jan de Witt and Esteban Carril.

Now ranked No 84 and trying to work his way back up the rankings, Murray is due to play in the upcoming Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Murray looking for improvement at Grand Slams

Murray has made a near-miraculous return to professional tennis after having a metal hip inserted in January 2019, following two years of intense right hip pain. The Scot won the doubles title at London’s Queen’s Club that summer and his 46th singles title in Antwerp in late 2019.

He has picked up some big wins in the intervening two years, including victories over Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, David Goffin and Frances Tiafoe, and reached the final of the ATP event in Sydney at the start of 2022.

But he has struggled to make an impression in the Grand Slam events. A third-round showing at Wimbledon last summer is his best effort since returning to the Tour, though he also pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas to five sets in a thrilling first-round battle at the US Open last year. He lost to Taro Daniel in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Andy Murray Indian Wells backhand
Andy Murray in Indian Wells in 2021 – AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Murray hoping for a repeat of success with Lendl

Murray first hired Lendl at the end of 2011, when he was still trying to win his first Grand Slam title, hoping that the Czech-born American’s own experience – he lost his first four slam finals before winning eight Grand Slams in all – would help him get over the line in the biggest events.

Murray lost to Roger Federer in the final at Wimbledon in 2012 but Lendl told Murray he should be proud of the way he had played. Three weeks later, Murray won his first big title, at the London Olympics, and he finally won his first Grand Slam title later that year when he beat Novak Djokovic to win the US Open.

He followed it with a first Wimbledon title in 2013 – the first British man to win there since 1936 – and thanked “Mr Lendl” for his help.

The pair split in March, 2014 but joined forces for a second time in June 2016, with immediate success, as Murray won a second Wimbledon title, a second Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro and became world No 1 for the first time, finished the year on top of the pile. They split for a second time in late 2017.

People in this post

Your comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *