WHEN Andy Murray hired Ivan Lendl for a third time, back in March, it raised a few eyebrows, with some asking if Lendl would really be able to do anything to help Murray when he is playing with a metal hip?
But three months into part three of their relationship, the pair head into Wimbledon with the Lendl effect already clear for everyone to see.
It’s clear in his results, with wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov and Nick Kyrgios, plus a run to the final in Stuttgart.
But it’s also been apparent in Murray’s belief, which has been restored by the return of the now 62-year-old former world No 1, who inspired him to Olympic glory, his first Grand Slam title, first Wimbledon and then returned to help him win Wimbledon again in 2016.
At 35, with all he’s achieved in the game, it would have been easy for Murray to hang up his racquets, but with Lendl in tow, he’s been talking up his chances of at least having one more hurrah in one of the biggest events.
There’s no bigger event for Murray than Wimbledon, where he begins his campaign today against Australian James Duckworth, and it is significant that when Lendl took over in March, one of the first things he said was that Murray’s best surface is grass.
As Lendl said: “I would say grass is probably Andy's best surface. A lot of the players, it's their worst surface. That would obviously increase his chances."
Lendl’s old foe, John McEnroe, said last week that he believed Lendl would never have returned to coach Murray if he didn’t believe he could win one of the slams.
And Murray revealed on Saturday that many coaches had actually turned him down when he was looking for a new direction earlier this year, after ending his long partnership with Jamie Delgado.
"Obviously having Ivan in my team helps," Murray told reporters at Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon.
"We've had a lot of success in the past, we know each other well and he still believes in me. There's not loads of coaches and people out there that have done over this last period, but he has.
"For the most part in my career, when I had conversations with potential coaches it came off most of the time, whereas this time round, I got turned down by a lot of coaches, so that was obviously difficult to deal with.
"I don't know how many (of them) you'd say were really top level, who would be able to help you win the major events. So that's also why I'm grateful Ivan has come back to work with me and help me try and achieve what I want to achieve."
Lendl is helping Murray look ahead, even at 35, an age when most players are long retired.
“He obviously played into his 30s as well,” Murray explained. “As he got older, he reduced the amount of training and stuff he was doing himself. So we spoke about that a little bit, the amount I would be doing moving forwards.
“We obviously did quite a long training block in Orlando after Miami. We spent like four or five weeks there, spent a lot of time on court with him. But it was obviously less than what we did in the past, which is just common sense.”
Murray said he is training smarter, now, being more collaborative with his entire team.
“Maybe sometimes in the past I would do my tennis work, then the fitness team would do their fitness work, whereas now there's maybe a little bit more planning and strategy around that.
“Maybe when (I was) younger, I probably should have done it more, but I didn't have so many issues. Things have changed a bit.”
Murray is donating his prize money this year to UNICEF, in support of the Ukrainian war effort.
“When I saw everything that was happening…I didn’t really know what else there is that you can do in my situation, necessarily, to help,” he said.
“I felt it was a good thing to do. And it gives me a little bit of extra motivation to try and perform well and win matches. That is why I decided to do it.
“When you see the images and stuff on the TV…I know at times the media get a rough ride from the public. But in this instance, the reporting and everything that I’d seen, it was incredible the job that they were doing.
“It makes you feel like you want to do something or do something to help. That felt like the best thing that I could do. So that was why I did it.”
What time is Andy Murray playing today?
Murray's first-round match is scheduled to begin at 5-6pm on Centre Court, though it depends on how the matches before him pan out.
He plays James Duckworth, the world number 77 from Australia.
How can I watch Andy Murray at Wimbledon today?
Murray's match will be broadcast on TV and digital platforms by the BBC.
