While the tennis world was busy placing bets on when Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker were going to split up, it was Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl who surprised us all by announcing they’ve pulled the plug on their fairytale partnership.
And it really was like a fairytale. The underdog tennis player who was perennially confined to second place was saved by the man who was in the very same position three decades ago.
During their two-year link-up, Murray has achieved what was previously believed to be the impossible. Not only did the Scot win two Grand Slams and end Britain’s 77-year wait for a home Wimbledon champion, but Murray also managed to get the poker-faced Lendl to crack a smile from time to time.
And on his part, the Czech legend turned his grumpy protégé into a positive competitor. With all the photos and footage of the pair joking around between practices, and in exhibition matches, it was clear that this wasn’t just a successful partnership, it was also a very happy one.
Unfortunately for Murray though, it turns out there is no happily ever after in this particular fairytale. The official reason given for the professional break-up is that Lendl wants to focus on his own “projects” including playing more seniors tennis around the world.
But it’s no surprise that many believe there’s more to the story than this. Why would someone quit after two very fruitful seasons when there’s still much more that could be achieved?
Reaching No1 in the world for example was surely a big enough goal the pair of them could have achieved together. It’s also terrible timing for Murray to go through a change. The 26-year-old has not been back at his best since he underwent minor back surgery late last year and is yet to reach his first final post-recovery.
Since Lendl had a huge impact on Murray’s psyche in the past, guiding him to his first major, this is a time the world No6 would have needed that kind of support. In fact, Lendl’s presence in the stands for Murray’s matches seems to have had a direct effect on his results.
The Scot won 83 per cent of his matches with Lendl in attendance but only 69 per cent with his coach absent. All this indicates that even though there is probably more to the story than what’s been revealed, it’s highly unlikely that this was Murray’s decision. And if it was, then it doesn’t seem like a very smart one.
A little over a year ago, Lendl said he could see himself coaching Murray until the end of his career, so this is quite a turnaround. It seems like an abrupt decision as well since Murray hasn’t even had the time to line up a replacement. This whole thing just doesn’t seem to add up.
Whatever the reason, Murray’s journey back to his best form might take longer than expected. A coaching change more often than not requires an adjustment period unlesss he hires someone he’s worked with in the past, which could be helpful in such circumstances.
