• Tennis

Murray appoints Mauresmo as new coach

ESPN staff
June 8, 2014
Amelie Mauresmo: "I'm really excited to be able to work with Andy" © Getty Images
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Andy Murray has appointed former Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach - and immediately tasked her with helping him win more grand slams.

The appointment is initially for the grass-court season, with Mauresmo, the current French Fed Cup captain, to take her place in Murray's camp as he bids to defend both his Queen's and Wimbledon crowns.

In a statement on his official website, Murray said: "I'm excited by the possibilities of the new partnership and Amelie is someone I have always looked up to and admired.

"She's faced adversity plenty of times in her career, but was an amazing player and won major titles, including Wimbledon.

Former women's world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo watched Andy Murray in action at the French Open © Getty Images
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"I have a very strong coaching team already in place, but I think Amelie brings with her experience and tactical expertise and will push us all to improve. Everyone I know talks very highly of Amelie, as a person and coach, and I'm convinced that her joining the team will help us push on - I want to win more grand slams."

Murray split with Ivan Lendl in March after a successful partnership that saw the Scot win an Olympic gold medal, the US Open and Wimbledon.

Mauresmo, who also won the Australian Open in 2006 and an Olympic silver medal in 2004, had been rumoured to be in contention for the role with Murray admitting last month he was speaking to both male and female coaches about succeeding Lendl.

The former women's world No.1 has previous experience of coaching a man, having worked with compatriot Michael Llodra over the 2010 grass-court season when he won the Eastbourne ATP event.

Mauresmo also acted as coach to Marion Bartoli when she won Wimbledon in 2013 - the first Frenchwoman to do so since Mauresmo herself in 2006.

"I'm really excited to be able to work with Andy," added Mauresmo. "He's an amazingly talented tennis player and I feel I have plenty to offer both him and the team around him. I'm looking forward to getting down to work and helping him win more grand slams."

Mauresmo turned up to watch the whole of Murray's first-round victory at the French Open, where he exited following a thrashing at the hands of Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals on Friday.

Women coaching men in professional tennis is not unknown. Denis Istomin, of Uzbekistan, is coached by his mother, while Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, the world No.54, is coached by his wife.

Murray himself has previously been coached by his mother, Judy, during his younger days before he turned professional.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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