Andy Murray's emphasis is on long-term productivity, rather than trying to defend his Wimbledon crown.
Andy Murray's game struggling without a coach
Reuters is reporting that Murray, the No. 8 men's tennis player in the world and the reigning Wimbledon champion is considering whether to ask John McEnroe to become his coach.
Murray, who reached as high as No. 2 last year, has been without a coach since Ivan Lendl stepped down in March. Lendl's exit has been part of a rocky year for Murray since becoming the first Brit to win the Grand Slam in England since Fred Perry in 1936.
Murray suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the latter portion of 2013, including the U.S. Open. He has not advanced past the semifinals of any tournament in 2014 and is just 18-7 in match play this year.
Andy Murray asks Twitter world to suggest a new coach to replace Ivan Lendl
According to Reuters, McEnroe has expressed an interest in guiding Murray, but Murray is looking for a coach for the long term. McEnroe never has been a coach and has a number of media commitments, which may impede his ability to travel with Murray.
After working with Murray for two years, Lendl decided he couldn't commit to the travel with Murray anymore, leading to his exit.
Murray is weighing the pros and cons of hiring McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam champion who has 77 career singles wins and 71 career doubles wins.
"Every player would consider someone with his credentials," the 26-year-old Scot told the BBC on Sunday.
"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."
Ironically, if Murray is successful in the next couple of weeks leading up to the French Open, that success may hinder his pairing with McEnroe because he said he needs time to think through the possibility of hiring McEnroe, and he wouldn't have the time if he were winning.
"I need to have the right person in place," Murray said, according to Reuters. "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."
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