With Wimbledon coming up, Andy Murray is reuniting with former coach Ivan Lendl. Murray set what quickly became a growing trend among the top players to appoint big-name former champions-dubbed “super-coaches”-when he appointed Lendl, one of most successful players of the Open era, a former No1, and victor of eight Grand Slams singles titles from 19 finals”.
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Andy Murray says former coach Ivan Lendl has rejoined his team.
Murray put up his best performance at the recent French Open to reach the final for the first time on the Parisian clay, but was beaten in four sets by the all-conquering Djokovic, who completed a career grand slam.
Czech-born Lendl, 56, was world number one in the 1980s and won eight Grand Slam singles titles – three French Opens, three U.S. Opens and two Australian Opens.
Lendl’s first target will be this week’s key Wimbledon lead-up event at Queen’s Club, where Murray is bidding for a record fifth singles title.
Should Murray face Raonic in this week’s final or at Wimbledon it will reignite the famous McEnroe-Lendl rivalry.
“I have always loved working with Ivan and I would have liked to have continued working with him in the past and it’s something I’ve thought about and talked about even over the last few years as well”, Murray said.
Lendl is expected to spend a similar amount of time with Murray as in his first stint, but will maintain his role with the United States Tennis Association’s player development programme.
‘I don’t think Ivan was going to come back unless he saw that Andy can win majors again.
“I’ve played a lot of tight matches, quite a lot of long matches, so physically I’m not so concerned”.
‘I have won matches where maybe you expect a pat on the back and you get the opposite from him. “I know what he can offer”, Murray said.
Speaking to the BBC, Murray explained that he’d spoken to Lendl a few times about potentially working together again, and that a conversation a few days ago lead to a decision on Saturday.
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Lendl originally left Murray’s employ after two years in 2014 because he had had enough of the incessant travelling. And throughout that run of success, he had Lendl to guide him. “I’m sure she had to think, ‘I could have been great if not for this baby, ‘ ” he told the magazine. “There have been a lot of positives there and I think I’m getting closer, which is good and I think there’s a few things Ivan can help me with there as well”.
