16 December 2015

Tennis: Amelie Mauresmo To Continue Coaching Andy Murray In 2016

Former World number one Amelie Mauresmo will continue coaching Andy Murray in 2016 after the Scot man recorded a level of success in 2015.

Mauresmo gave birth to her first child in August, but is planning to work 22 to 24 weeks with Murray, 28, next year.

The world number two hopes to have a new assistant coach in place for the first Masters event of the year in Indian Wells in March.


"For me there were a lot of positives last year," said Murray.

"But the last step is the most important thing and we need to work hard together to get back to winning the Slams. I've just got to find the way to get the wins against the top players in the biggest matches again."

Murray, who was speaking in Dubai, where he is playing for the Singapore Slammers in the International Premier Tennis League, added: "Amelie did come in at a difficult time, when I had just come back from back surgery, which was tough.

"When I started working with her officially I was ranked 11 in the world - I had just dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in eight years - and I'm now back up to number 2, which is my highest ranking."

Murray has also revealed he will withdraw from the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, which takes place in Melbourne on January 18-31, if his wife, Kim, goes into labour.

The couple's first child is due in mid-February and Murray told the Daily Mail: "I want to make sure at the beginning I am there as much as I can be to try and help out, just be there for whatever is really required of me."

"Murray had been very keen to retain the services of Mauresmo but was adamant she would need to commit to at least 20 weeks of the year - so it is a huge boost she has signed up just four months after becoming a mother.

"Murray still has a huge amount of time for Bjorkman but the relationship was not an unqualified success.

"Murray won the Masters event in Montreal after Mauresmo went on maternity leave, but was beaten in the fourth round of the US Open and his on-court demeanour has at times been unduly negative.

"The new assistant coaching role may end up as a full-time position - in the way Dani Vallverdu complemented Murray's former coach Ivan Lendl so well."

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