Andy Murray in no rush to appoint new coach

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Murray takes time over coach appointment

By Kheredine Idessane
BBC Scotland in Toronto

Andy Murray has been approached with coaching proposals but will stick with his resolution to defer a decision until after the US Open next month.

"I've had a few offers but I haven't actually spoken to anybody about it yet," he told BBC Scotland in Canada. "There are a lot of good coaches.

"I don't want to mess up a decision like this because I'm hoping it will be a four or five-year relationship.

"I'm hoping this is going to be my peak, so I need to pick a good one."

Scotland's world number four has been without a coach since splitting with compatriot Miles Maclagan at the end of July.

His part-time consultant, Alex Corretja, will continue to work with him in the build-up to Flushing Meadows in New York.

However, Murray, without a title to his name in 2010, is keen to work with a coach on a near-full-time basis.

"It depends on who is available and then you can decide how you want things to work," he explained.

"I don't think I need someone with me every single week of the year but definitely at all of the Masters series events and the Grand Slams.

The way that I play naturally is always going to be the way that wins me most matches Andy Murray

"It's not an easy decision because you have to make sure you get on with them, since you spend 30 to 35 weeks of the year travelling.

"For me, the training blocks are where you get the important work done - and in the gym, so [a coach is required] not totally full-time but for most of the big tournaments."

Maclagan became Murray's fifth coach at the end of 2007 when the player was ranked 11th in the world.

Under Maclagan's guidance, Murray reached his first two Grand Slam finals at the 2008 US Open and 2010 Australian Open, losing on both occasions to Roger Federer.

"I'm obviously going to need to improve certain parts of my game," added Murray, who is defending his Rogers Cup title this week.

"It's easy to suggest that I need to play more aggressively but you need to be taught how to play that way - it's something you need to practice a lot, work on the movement with specific drills. That might be something I'm looking for.

"But I can't get away from the core of my game. The way that I play naturally is always going to be the way that wins me most matches.

"I just need to add a few things to my game and I'm still young enough to do that."

Murray lost in the final of the Farmers Classic last weekend and revealed that he had met the Real Madrid squad during his time in Los Angeles.

And the Scot, who trained at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona as a junior, was impressed by new Bernabeu manager Jose Mourinho.

"Real Madrid were practicing at UCLA and were kind enough to let me go in and watch some of their practice and the players were very friendly," said Murray.

"I didn't tell them I was a Barcelona fan, I've gone off them a bit.

"I couldn't say I was a Real Madrid fan but they were incredibly nice and I hope they do well this year.

"I chatted with Mourinho for five minutes or so and he was incredibly nice. He has a lot of class and he's a very nice-looking man as well. It was really cool to meet him."