Share

Murray and Lendl split

London - Britain's Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl have mutually agreed to end their two-year partnership, the Wimbledon champion announced on Wednesday.

In a joint statement on Murray's website, it appeared Czech-born Lendl had been the instigator of the split.

"Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me", said Lendl.

"He is a first class guy. Having helped him achieve his goal of winning major titles, I feel like it is time for me to concentrate on some of my own projects moving forward including playing more events around the world which I am really enjoying."

Murray, who under Lendl's guidance won an Olympic gold medal, the 2012 US Open and last year's Wimbledon title, added: "I'm eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far.

"I'll take some time with the team to consider the next steps and how we progress from here," added Murray, who continues his return from back surgery and is preparing to defend his Miami title.

Murray was already one of the most talented players of his generation but it was only when working with Lendl, who like the Scot lost his initial Grand Slam finals, that he became a major winner.

Their first significant joint triumph was at the London Olympics before Murray, with eight-time major winner Lendl in his corner, won the US Open -- his first Grand Slam title.

But even that success was topped by Murray's victory over Novak Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final, a win that saw him become the first British player since Fred Perry 77 years earlier to win the men's singles title.

"I will always be in Andy's corner and wish him nothing but great success as he too goes into a new phase of his career," the 54-year-old Lendl.

Murray, 26, was first introduced to tennis by his mother, Judy, now the captain of the British women's Federation Cup team.

But as a professional tennis player he worked with several coaches including compatriots Mark Petchey and Miles Maclagan, as well as Spain's Alex Corretja and American Brad Gilbert before joining forces with Lendl in December 2011.

Although Lendl had no track record as a tennis coach, he was widely regarded as the man capable of turning Murray into a champion given he too had lost his first four Grand Slam finals.

Murray, speaking after his Wimbledon triumph, said of Lendl: He's made me learn more from the losses than I did before and he's always been very honest with me and believed in me when other people maybe didn't.

"Ivan's been very patient, as I'm not always easy to deal with. He's also honest with me.

"If I work hard he's happy, if I don't he's disappointed and he'll tell me. He has got me mentally slightly different going into these big matches."

Although Murray's form has dipped since his Wimbledon victory, most observers attribute the downturn to his back injury and subsequent surgery.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Lamontville Golden Arrows 1
Royal AM 0
loading... Live
Sheffield United 0
Burnley 0
loading... Live
Luton Town 0
Brentford 0
loading... Live
Benetton 19
Dragons 0
loading... Live
Lions 22
Leinster 0
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1781 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE