It’s all going on for Andy Murray – coaching splits and getting hitched!
Following hot on the heels of his announcement that the stalwarts of his training team Dani Valldervu and Jez Green parting ways with the two-time Grand Slam champion, Murray confirmed that he had popped the question to his long-time girlfriend Kim Sears on Wednesday.
Taking the professional stuff first, Murray has continued his coaching arrangement with Amelie Mauresmo, herself a two-time Slam champion, but parted with long-time friend and travelling coach Vallverdu and fitness trainer Green.
“We sat down at the end of the season and decided that a change would be best for all of us,” said Murray.
This cannot have been an easy decision for the Brit, after a challenging year. His comeback from back surgery suffered a blow when he parted company with Ivan Lendl in Miami. Mauresmo was announced as his new coach during the French Open, and Murray clawed his way back to the top six, after tumbling out of the Top 10 for the first time this year, since 2008.
He and Vallverdu became friends in the teens when they were training at the Sánchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona, and was a vital part of Lendl’s coaching set up, but the Venezuelan (and Green) were rumoured to have been put out by the sudden announcement of Mauresmo. She has now committed to be with Murray on the tour for 25 weeks in 2015 and will be working with Murray during his winter training block.
Murray continued: “My off-season training and Australian Open preparations have already begun and I am very excited for the new year.
“I thank Jez and Dani for all their hard work over the years and wish them the best for the future.”
However while firm Murray fans were trying to get their heads around the departure of popular members of Team Murray, the news came of forthcoming nuptials, as Murray’s agent confirmed that he had asked Sears to tie the knot last Wednesday.
Many will remember Murray’s joke tweet earlier this year during a Q&A session that he was going to get married after Wimbledon, and had to backtrack, as people failed to get his dry sense of humour. The couple have been together since 2005, apart from a brief six-month break from each other.
Murray has said in past interviews that the reason for the success of their relationship is the fact that as the daughter of tennis coach and pundit Nigel Sears, she understands better than most the demands of the tour.
“It has been good because her dad is a tennis coach and he still travels on the tour. She understands the sport well and is used to being away from her dad from a young age. She understands that sort of distant relationship, and yes it works well.”
Murray spent some time choosing a diamond ring, and they are planning to enjoy being engaged before they set a date for the wedding.
Murray will be playing in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League as part of the Manila Mavericks, before playing in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships #iptl
Topics: Andy Murray, global chick, Kim Sears, Tennis News
GLOBAL CHICK CHECKS IN ON @andy_murray & #TENNIS NEWS & HIS #ENGAGEMENT TO THE BEAUTIFUL @KIMSEARS- http://t.co/UQDR809tuL #AndyMurray