Shortly after Amélie Mauresmo made the bold decision last summer to take on the job as Andy Murray’s coach one of her contemporaries, the Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, outlined her strength of character. “If she feels something is going wrong, she will get off the court immediately. She is strong enough to leave,” she said. Considering the response her appointment received in some quarters it is to her credit that she has never worried too much about what people think. Instead she has got on with her job and, as Murray prepares to face Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Australian Open final, it seems she is doing rather well.
Not every top player makes a top coach but it is not as if Mauresmo came into the relationship without any credentials. While Murray admired her achievements as a player, when she won two grand slam titles, claimed the world No1 ranking and dealt with plenty of adversity on and off the court, she also helped Marion Bartoli win Wimbledon in 2013 and is France’s Fed Cup captain.
“She’s been very important for me the last few months,” Murray told ESPN after beating Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals. “She’s a fantastic person first and foremost but I get on very well with her. We discuss tennis, tactics, the way I should be playing, we’re completely on the same page and I’m very happy to be working with her.”
In the ever-scrutinised world in which Murray moves, Mauresmo is more in the public eye than at any time since her playing days and it might come as a surprise to some to learn that beneath her natural calmness is an intense will to win. She is smart and has a good sense of humour but loves physical training and her ambition and drive are a match for the Scot. No player-coach combination is more committed or aware of the dedication required to get to the top.
“She will be pushing him to get to No1,” says Vincent Cognet, a journalist with L’Equipe who has followed her throughout her career and describes her as a “mega-perfectionist”. “She’s got so much ambition that she will never be happy being No4 or No5. As French Fed Cup captain I think she realised that there’s a universe of ambition between her ambition and that of her players. I don’t think she would ever think about being No3 or No4 in the world. It’s deep inside her. She’s always trying to go to the top of the top; she’s not interested in being No5, No10. She always wants the top.”
Murray praised Mauresmo for being brave enough to take the job and defended her against her critics in his on-court speech after the win over Berdych on Thursday, and he won legions of fans around the world when he said she had shown that a woman can be a top coach, let alone that a woman can coach a man. But Mauresmo is more than just a female coach; she is someone who will go the extra mile to ensure success for her charge.
Murray has spoken of how much he likes the fact that Mauresmo listens, not just jumping in and telling him what to do. But the Frenchwoman is not afraid to speak her mind and Murray was confident enough in her ability and happy enough in her company to feel able to dispense with the services of his long-time friend and assistant coach, Dani Vallverdu, in November. That left Mauresmo in sole charge and she seems to be revelling in it. “It’s a satisfaction for me, yes, [to see Murray doing well] because now that the team has changed I feel more responsible for training, for the way he wants to improve his game and that I fully agree with,” Mauresmo told French reporters in Melbourne.
“It wasn’t easy to arrive at his side, to be under scrutiny, because I hadn’t been in this situation for a while, or to put myself in danger because he had already won grand slams and an Olympic gold. When I started with him he was physically unable to achieve what he did [against Berdych]. He was also lacking some motivation at this time. Being with him now as he’s starting to get better is really great for me too. I learn a lot. Now we all want him to take the trophy.”
With a wedding to his long-time girlfriend, Kim Sears, planned for later this year Murray seems genuinely happy, on and off the court. Back to full fitness after a difficult 2014 when he was still recovering from back surgery, he has looked rejuvenated in Melbourne and Mauresmo is a big part of that. “I believe Mauresmo is fantastic,” Nick Bollettieri, one of the sport’s most celebrated coaches, told The Observer.
“She’s quietened Andy down and he’s in great shape physically. I think the whole training system is good and she’s very calm in the box. All the hype over why did you pick her, this that and the other, that’s all gone.
“I’m glad it’s gone. You shouldn’t judge anybody by gender. Judge people by what they do. He’s settled down, he’s in great shape physically, he’s got more pop on his forehand, he’s added to his serve. And I believe that his mental attitude this year is excellent.”
Olga Morozova, another of the sport’s legendary coaches and a former Wimbledon and French Open runner-up, said last summer that Murray’s decision to appoint Mauresmo would open doors to more women coaches. Mauresmo understands she is a trailblazer but when it comes down to it she just wants to be a winner. Over to you, Andy.
