I think it’s fair to say that Ivan Lendl’s influence on Andy Murray’s career has been a hugely positive one. Although, the two men haven’t been working together for a long time, it is a partnership that has shown a great deal of early promise.
Murray has always been a good player, but this year everything seems to have clicked to take him to the next level. Of course, a big part of that is in the results that he has achieved, but I think it has also been in his playing mentality and belief. This is something that started in the Wimbledon 2012 final against Roger Federer.
Some people may find that’s a strange thing to say considering he lost the game. However, this was the first time in a Grand Slam final that Murray believed he was the equal of Federer. Of course, it could be argued that this is something that the British player would have grown into eventually.
But sometimes it can help to receive a different point of view from an outsider. Therefore, we have to give Lendl a huge amount of credit for installing this thinking in Murray’s game. This is something that clearly has continued and led to the gold medal at London 2012 and the 2012 U.S. Open success.
Andy finished the season ranked third in the world after some disappointing defeats to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic late in the year. However, I think the work had been done in 2012, and it is now a matter of continuing that good work during 2013.
Ivan Lendl’s declaration that he wants to continue working with Murray for the rest of his career seems to be good news for both parties. However, I suspect that it is only something that will continue long-term if the impressive results continue.
Nevertheless, I am a big believer that certain coaches work well with certain players, or the right player for them. Various factors can go into this including things like having personalities that are compatible with each other.
But perhaps the thing that works for Lendl and Murray is their similar experiences. As a player, Lendl took a while to win his first Grand Slam title. However, once he achieved that milestone, further success quickly followed. By the end of his career, Lendl had managed to win eight Grand Slam titles.
If Murray could emulate this success, then I think everyone would be very happy. These are extraordinary times in men’s tennis, but Andy is rightfully considered a great player. And he could go down as a true great if he can win further titles. For now, the partnership seems to be working a treat. And hopefully that can continue for the rest of the Brit’s career.
James Kent has been a tennis fan for a number of years; he has enjoyed the 2012 season and is looking forward to 2013, follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
