Andy Murray has been told to venture into coaching and help ex-rival Casper Ruud win his first-ever Grand Slam.
Murray retired earlier this year after a stellar two-decade-long career in the game, winning three Grand Slams, as well as two Olympic gold medals
Hanging up his racket after an emotional run to the Olympic doubles quarter-finals with fellow Brit Dan Evans this summer, questions about Murray’s return to tennis in a coaching capacity have been asked ever since.
Speaking at the time, the Scot admitted he was “looking forward” to a spell away from tennis, so he could spend time with his family instead.
But less than six months after Murray officially called it a day, former tennis star Mats Wilander has urged the 37-year-old to return as Ruud’s coach.
Speaking to Eurosport, the Swede said: “Casper Ruud is at the time in his career where you watch him play and you don’t know if he still believes that he’s one of the best two, three players in the world, because you would have to say when he made those three Grand Slam finals, that we put him up there.
“It wasn’t like he had no chance in winning either of the three. He did have a chance to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open [final in 2022]. He played Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal at the French Open in two finals, and you wouldn’t say that he, on paper, had a chance, but I thought he did.
He continued: “I think Casper is at the point in his career where you have to look at what Andy Murray did by hiring Ivan Lendl. Andy lost four Grand Slam finals, so did Ivan Lendl before they won their first one. Then, of course, it turns out that Murray won two Olympic golds, and he won three Grand Slams.
“Ivan Lendl won eight of them. So it’s just a matter of winning the first. How do you win your first one? Obviously, Christian, his dad, is an unbelievable coach, and he’s taken Casper from his childhood years to be one of the best players in the world.”
Ruud, who is currently ranked seventh in the world, was tipped as one of the best up-and-coming stars on the tennis circuit when he was breaking through in the mid-2010s.
Rather unfortunately though, just as the ‘Big Three’ have started to loosen their grip on the sport, both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have come through in their place, with the Italian and Spanish duo taking all four Grand Slam titles this year.
Wilander believes Murray’s experience of winning titles during the Djokovic-Nadal-Federer era can work in Ruud’s favour, should the pair link up for the exciting coaching partnership.
He continued: “Murray had the big three to deal with, and he still won three Grand Slam titles. Stan Wawrinka had the big four to deal with, and he still won three Grand Slam titles because he hired Magnus Norman because of Ivan Lendl.
“Is it a suggestion? No. But it’s a possibility that this might be the next good move for Ruud. I hope he can win a Grand Slam one day, and I think he needs to improve his backhand to do that.
Wilander concluded: “Andy, as a coach, might become the greatest coach of all time because he knows the game. He’s into stats. He physically works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.
“He’s overcome these obstacles of not winning Grand Slams in his first couple of four or five Grand Slam final appearances. So yes, my call goes to Andy.”
Ruud will round off an underwhelming 2024 season at the ATP Finals in Turin later this month.
