Former American tennis great James Blake explains why a coaching role would bring Andy Murray “joy” following his retirement from the game at the Paris Olympics.
A popular, and successful, figure in men’s tennis, the Olympics marked Murray’s adieu for the final time.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is the only athlete with two singles golds in the sport, having won the event at London 2012 and Rio four years later.
After having hip replacement surgery in 2019, and a plethora of other injuries, the Scot withdrew from the singles at Wimbledon because he needed a procedure to remove a cyst from his spine.
And he gave one final, tearful, lingering wave to all sides of Court Suzanne Lenglen after he and Dan Evans were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Olympic men’s doubles in the final match of his career.
He should be proud as the mark he made on the sport is indelible, and the mark he made for tennis is even more. Probably the greatest, maybe the greatest British sportsman of all time, but definitely the greatest tennis player, so it’s really impressive.
So what about life after tennis? Blake, a former world No 4 and two-time US Open quarter-finalist, thinks Murray could have a bright future as a coach.
“He could be a great coach. He knows the game so well, so I think he would help someone,” said the American, who is the tournament director for the Miami Open.
“I always think the mark of a great coach is really the way they’re able to relate it to players, to their player, which is more individual, and so I would think he’s going to be great at that.
“You never can tell for sure, but I would think he’d be great, but it also would bring him joy.
“I had to take a little time away from the sport, which was five or six months where I just really didn’t want to think about the sport, and it renewed my joy, my love of the sport. I don’t know if he wants to take a month or two off or a year, whatever. He’s entitled to do whatever he wants, and then just see what aspect of the game he misses and wants to come back to, and if that’s coaching, then great.
“The tour would be better for having a great coach like Andy Murray and a personality, but if he comes back and says, ‘you know what, after a year off, I really miss the marketing side of it, and I want to be an agent’, great. Or ‘I miss the behind-the-scenes stuff and I want to be a tournament director’, great.
“I’d just love to see him do whatever makes him happy, and if that’s, ‘hey, I want to stay home with my four kids’, do that. Play some golf and have some fun and relax. He’s earned it.”
Blake, who won 10 ATP Tour titles during his career, also spoke about competing against Murray.
After winning their first meeting in Hamburg in 2006, Blake was on the receiving end of two defeats to the Briton in 2009 at Queen’s Club and the Paris Masters.
“He’s an absolute legend. It was an honour to compete against him. I loved all of our matches, they were so interesting because he didn’t have just one tool in the arsenal. He could beat you so many different ways, but it was fun,” Blake said.
“You have to think a lot when you’re playing him and respect his athleticism, respect his brain, and the hard work is what I always thought about him. I also loved the fact that he was so competitive, so intense on the court, and off the court, he’s just such a great guy. I love getting along with him.”
Murray may have a largely undeserved reputation as a dour Scot with a brand of dry humour, but it is a reputation that has gone down well in the locker room.
“He’s the jokester, he has such a dry humour, and is a genuinely good person,” smiled Blake. “You learn that after you’re on tour with someone for a long time. Maybe at first, you’re just kind of acquaintances, and then you get to really learn about people and what their heart is.
“He has a good heart, and a great family man. I’m happy for him that he’s got such a great family, and he’s got so much to look forward to when his career is over, and so much to look back on, to be proud of, because he should be proud as the mark he made on the sport is indelible, and the mark he made for tennis is even more. Probably the greatest, maybe the greatest British sportsman of all time, but definitely the greatest tennis player, so it’s really impressive.”
Johanna Konta: Murray has made women’s tennis more of a conversation
“It’s hard to sum up Andy’s career because it’s so multifaceted as well. I remember when he was coming through when he had to go through this while evolving physically, emotionally and mentally. When he did, he became this ‘iron man’ and that’s how I kind of saw him. Someone who’s really invincible as a competitor and then to reach the highs that he did and also go through the lows that he did and come back from that, his career is so multifaceted,” said Johanna Konta, a former British No 1.
“Personally, how he fitted into my career, the highlight for me was the 2016 Rio Oympics. That’s my career highlight and he’s the epitome of that.”
Murray has often backed his counterparts on the WTA Tour, from tennis records in interviews, to hiring Amelie Mauresmo as a coach in a trailblazing move a decade ago.
“What Andy did for women’s tennis was he made it less of a conversation by making it more of a conversation,” said the former Wimbledon semi-finalist.
“I don’t know if that makes sense but I feel like he had this really great way of highlighting something that is so obvious to the vast majority of people but maybe not for everyone and through that he championed the equality of women in general.
“The way that he approached it through such a normalcy point of view is what made him such a great ally for the women’s side.
“I just hope he enjoys life because he’s given himself to this passion of this life so it would be nice to see him relaxing in his next stage.”
Andrea Petkovic: A tennis IQ like nobody else
“I think it’s no secret that Andy Murray has been my favourite player on the ATP Tour for years now,” said 2014 French Open semi-finalist Andrea Petkovic.
“We’re the same age, 37, and I’ve retired way before him, and I don’t have metal hips. So I think it’s really incredible. He’s always been on the right side of history, I think, which is also important for us, for us female players. That’s one thing.
“But the other thing is I think that it sometimes gets neglected how much talent he had as a tennis player because he read the game like nobody else, and he had a tennis IQ like nobody else, and sometimes we forget that because tennis has become so powerful that we tend to emphasise that, when in reality Andy was one of these players who understood tennis better than anybody else.”
Francesca Schiavone: I would call him to me my coach
“Andy was a fantastic example for everybody, for kids, for us. So I think we have to say thanks to him, we have to follow him if he does something for young players or for the top players,” said 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.
“I think for Britain he can be a CEO of something, because he’s very smart, he always played with the head, with good tactics, so it means that he managed for 20 years an amazing career.
“I don’t know if he wants [to be a coach], but if I was a guy for sure I would call him.”
Agnieszka Radwanska: Andy is a hero
“I love Andy. I think the greatest fighter of all the time. I think what Emma (Raducanu) needs to be on court is watching Andy fight on court and be competitive,” said Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 Wimbledon finalist.
“This fire that he’s having on court, and actually what he’s done after his hip surgery is playing at that level. For me, unbelievable. This is unbelievable.
“For me, he’s a hero, seriously. If I want to show my kid what tennis is all about, I’m going to show him Andy Murray’s match. So entertaining, so competitive.”
Mark Philippoussis: Murray has beaten the best
“He’s been an unbelievable player with everything that he has won. Wimbledon, the Olympics and the Grand Slams, but in an era where he also has beaten arguably the best players who have ever played the game in the same era,” said former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Mark Philippoussis.
“He has beaten them, not in a tournament occasionally here and there, but on the biggest stages, and he has competed with them and been as good as them. So as a player, I think he’s incredible. And also, I think that the way he came back after his surgery has also shown the love he had for the game.
“I have enormous respect for Andy, and it was very nice to see him having this moment.”
Marcos Baghdatis: It was always the big four with Murray
“We all the time talk about the top three, but I always say he was one, it was the big four, he was one of them,” said 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis.
“He’s been there every event with them, battling with them and pushing them to the limits and pushed himself to the limits and he had an amazing career and I wish him good luck for the next chapter of his life.”
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.
- National Bank Open, Montreal (ATP 1000) – 6-12 August
- National Bank Open, Toronto (WTA 1000) – 6-12 August
- Cincinnati Open (ATP 1000) – 12-19 August
- Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000) – 13-19 August
- Winston-Salem Open (ATP 250) – 18-24 August
- Tennis in the Land, Cleveland (WTA 250) – 18-24 August
- Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey (WTA 500) – 19-24 August
- US Open (ATP/WTA) – 26 August – 8 September
Watch 24 hours of Andy Murray on Monday from 6am on Sky Sports Tennis including our documentary – Grit, Glory, Legacy – and his Top 10 career defining matches. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
Source : Sky Sports
