Murray mulling McEnroe as mentor

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is considering hiring seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe as his coach, saying the controversial American has plenty to offer his game.

World No 8 Murray, playing this week at the Madrid Masters, has been without a coach since he split from Ivan Lendl in March after a successful two-year spell during which he won two Grand Slam titles and gold at the 2012 Olympics.

"Every player would consider someone with his credentials," the 26-year-old Scot said of McEnroe in a BBC interview.

"I like listening to him commentate and he has a lot to offer as well. It's interesting but if anything comes from it, who knows?

"When you are very competitive as a player, you are likely to be the same as a coach and that's also a benefit.

"He was a great player and he's always kept an interest in the game, which is important. He has a great knowledge of the sport."

McEnroe, 55, indicated this week he would be willing to help Murray, despite having a number of media commitments and a lack of professional coaching experience.

Murray, however, is in no rush to make an appointment.

"It depends how I do in the next couple of weeks," he said.

"If I do well, I'm not going to have that much time. If I don't do so well, I'll have a little bit more time to think about it and chat with people.

"I need to have the right person in place. I don't want to have the wrong person in place by the French Open. I'd rather wait a few weeks and get the right person three weeks after Wimbledon."

The French Open begins on May 25 and Wimbledon just over a month later.

(China Daily 05/06/2014 page23)