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Andy Murray hires Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach
Mauresmo becomes only the second woman to coach a men's top 10 player
The Frenchwoman won two grand slam titles during her playing career
Murray has been looking for a coach since splitting with Ivan Lendl in March
Women coaches in men’s sport are suddenly all the rage.
Fresh from Helena Costa becoming France’s first ever professional female football coach for a male team, reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has announced double grand slam winner Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach.
The world no. 5 has been searching for a new coach since splitting with Czech great Ivan Lendl in March and the Scot announced the new appointment following a French Open semifinal defeat to Rafael Nadal.
It is only the second time a player inside the top 10 of the men’s rankings has appointed a female coach, with Mauresmo following in the footsteps of Tatiana Naumko – who worked with Russian former world no. 9 Andrei Chesnokov.
“I spoke to Amelie a couple of times on the phone, I met her in Paris in person,” the Briton told CNN at Queen’s Club, where he will defend his title at the Wimbledon warm-up event this week.
“I just had a good feeling about it. She was extremely calm, spoke very well, listened very well. I think communication is really important in individual sport and I’m looking forward to it.”
Read: Rafael Nadal makes in nine at Roland Garros
Mauresmo isn’t the first woman to potentially have a significant influence on his career.
Murray’s mother Judy, who is captain of the British women’s Fed Cup team, played a major role in her son’s rise to the top and was in his team for a number of years.
“I’m really excited to be able to work with Andy,” Mauresmo said from Roland Garros, where she was working as a commentator for Eurosport.
“He’s an amazingly talented tennis player and I feel I have plenty to offer both him and the team around him.”
Murray and Mauresmo have initially agreed to a short-term arrangement, with the latter, like Judy, committed to the French Fed Cup team.
The duo have just two weeks to prepare for Murray’s title defense at the All England Club at Wimbledon.
After hiring eight-time grand slam winner Lendl in December 2011, Murray’s career really took off.
He won Olympic gold at London 2012 before clinching his first major at the U.S. Open later that year.
In 2013 the Scot ended a 77-year wait for a British champion at the grass-court grand slam with a straight sets defeat of Novak Djokovic.
Since that historic win, Murray has struggled with a back injury and he underwent surgery to correct the problem last September.
Murray has been playing his way back into form and fitness and reached the last four at Roland Garros, before a resounding defeat to eventual champion Nadal.
The 27-year-old will be hoping Mauresmo can help him return to grand slam-winning ways.
