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| Andy Murray has opened door to more women coaches, says Olga Morozova | Andy Murray has opened door to more women coaches, says Olga Morozova |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A few days before this year’s Wimbledon Championships started, Andy Murray was making his way through one of the car parks at the All England Club when he saw a familiar face. Olga Morozova, the runner-up to Chris Evert here 40 years ago and one of the most respected coaches in the sport, had just parked and greeted the man she first met when he was 11. “The one thing I said was: ‘If you need help, I’m ready,’” Morozova says. “He was laughing and we were all laughing. Of course it was because of Amélie that I said that.” | A few days before this year’s Wimbledon Championships started, Andy Murray was making his way through one of the car parks at the All England Club when he saw a familiar face. Olga Morozova, the runner-up to Chris Evert here 40 years ago and one of the most respected coaches in the sport, had just parked and greeted the man she first met when he was 11. “The one thing I said was: ‘If you need help, I’m ready,’” Morozova says. “He was laughing and we were all laughing. Of course it was because of Amélie that I said that.” |
| Morozova is better placed than most to talk about Murray’s recent appointment of Amélie Mauresmo as his new coach, having worked very briefly with the Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky a few years ago. The Russian, who coached a string of top players, including Natasha Zvereva, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova, says she hopes the partnership leads to more women taking up the roles. “Everyone should say thank you very much to Andy because he was brave enough to do it,” she says. | Morozova is better placed than most to talk about Murray’s recent appointment of Amélie Mauresmo as his new coach, having worked very briefly with the Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky a few years ago. The Russian, who coached a string of top players, including Natasha Zvereva, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova, says she hopes the partnership leads to more women taking up the roles. “Everyone should say thank you very much to Andy because he was brave enough to do it,” she says. |
| “I think it was the right thing he said, if you have the knowledge, you have the knowledge. If you don’t have it, then forget about it. If the coach can see [the solutions], then it doesn’t matter who is the coach.” | “I think it was the right thing he said, if you have the knowledge, you have the knowledge. If you don’t have it, then forget about it. If the coach can see [the solutions], then it doesn’t matter who is the coach.” |
| The partnership sparked huge interest, with some inevitable sexism mixed with genuine curiosity as to what convinced the Wimbledon champion to break with convention. The Scot is the first male grand slam champion since Jimmy Connors to have a female coach, but the American was guided by his mother, Gloria, so Murray is the first player of his level to hire a woman. Having also been coached by his mother, Judy Murray, early in his career, Murray has said it felt perfectly natural and remembers Morozova from his junior days. “I always found her great fun to be around,” he said. “I learned a lot from her when I was a kid, too.” | The partnership sparked huge interest, with some inevitable sexism mixed with genuine curiosity as to what convinced the Wimbledon champion to break with convention. The Scot is the first male grand slam champion since Jimmy Connors to have a female coach, but the American was guided by his mother, Gloria, so Murray is the first player of his level to hire a woman. Having also been coached by his mother, Judy Murray, early in his career, Murray has said it felt perfectly natural and remembers Morozova from his junior days. “I always found her great fun to be around,” he said. “I learned a lot from her when I was a kid, too.” |
| Two other men in the world’s top 100 are coached by women: Denis Istomin is coached by his mother and Mikhail Kukushkin is coached by his wife. But there are very few women working as coaches on tour, full stop. Only one woman in the top 50, Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, has a female coach, while in the top 100, though Yanina Wickmayer (with the former world No1 Kim Clijsters) and Belinda Bencic (Melanie Molitor, Martina Hingis’s mother) occasionally work with female coaches, Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, ranked 89, and Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva, ranked 100, are the only other women to have full-time female coaches. | Two other men in the world’s top 100 are coached by women: Denis Istomin is coached by his mother and Mikhail Kukushkin is coached by his wife. But there are very few women working as coaches on tour, full stop. Only one woman in the top 50, Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, has a female coach, while in the top 100, though Yanina Wickmayer (with the former world No1 Kim Clijsters) and Belinda Bencic (Melanie Molitor, Martina Hingis’s mother) occasionally work with female coaches, Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, ranked 89, and Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva, ranked 100, are the only other women to have full-time female coaches. |
| Morozova admits that the tour can be a lonely place for a woman as a coach. “Nobody is letting them in,” she says. “I cannot tell you exactly why, it’s quite difficult, but maybe they’re not even trying [because it’s so hard]. Most of the time I was coaching Russian girls at the top – for them it was normal to have a female coach – but for others, I am telling you, you will not get there if you don’t have an agent. | Morozova admits that the tour can be a lonely place for a woman as a coach. “Nobody is letting them in,” she says. “I cannot tell you exactly why, it’s quite difficult, but maybe they’re not even trying [because it’s so hard]. Most of the time I was coaching Russian girls at the top – for them it was normal to have a female coach – but for others, I am telling you, you will not get there if you don’t have an agent. |
| “There is only a small group of coaches. It’s like some kind of special clan. Li Na’s coach goes to [Maria] Sharapova, coach of Sharapova is going to [Caroline] Wozniacki, coach of Wozniacki goes to …” | “There is only a small group of coaches. It’s like some kind of special clan. Li Na’s coach goes to [Maria] Sharapova, coach of Sharapova is going to [Caroline] Wozniacki, coach of Wozniacki goes to …” |
| Another reason, according to Morozova, is economic. “When you are coaching somebody you have to know how to hit,” she says. “It’s cheaper [to have a man] because otherwise you have to also get a sparring partner; you have to get two rooms.” | Another reason, according to Morozova, is economic. “When you are coaching somebody you have to know how to hit,” she says. “It’s cheaper [to have a man] because otherwise you have to also get a sparring partner; you have to get two rooms.” |
| As for Mauresmo, Morozova says only time will tell whether the combination will be successful, though she says the Frenchwoman will only continue if she is happy. “I asked Kuznetsova what she thinks and she told me: ‘If she feels something is going wrong, she will get off the court immediately. She is strong enough to leave.’” | As for Mauresmo, Morozova says only time will tell whether the combination will be successful, though she says the Frenchwoman will only continue if she is happy. “I asked Kuznetsova what she thinks and she told me: ‘If she feels something is going wrong, she will get off the court immediately. She is strong enough to leave.’” |
| And Nick Bollettieri, the man who produced Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Sharapova, believes Mauresmo’s appointment could be a watershed moment. “If Mauresmo could have success with Murray, that will help others,” he says. | And Nick Bollettieri, the man who produced Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Sharapova, believes Mauresmo’s appointment could be a watershed moment. “If Mauresmo could have success with Murray, that will help others,” he says. |
| Tennis’s leading female coaches | |
| Olga Morozova | |
| The former Wimbledon runner-up was the Soviet Union national coach, went on to coach Natasha Zvereva, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova and was the LTA girls’ coach when Andy Murray was coming through. | |
| Amélie Mauresmo | |
| The former world No1 coached Michael Llodra briefly a few years ago, guided Marion Bartoli to victory at Wimbledon last summer. Is France’s Fed Cup captain and now Andy Murray’s coach. | |
| Tatiana Naumko | |
| Having worked for the Russian Federation, Naumko coached Russian Andrei Chesnokov throughout his career. Now based in the US, she has also worked with Nadia Petrova. | |
| Jelena Gencic | |
| A former national tennis and handball player, Gencic discovered Monica Seles, Goran Ivanisevic and famously, was Novak Djokovic’s first coach. | |
| Rauzla Islanova | |
| The mother of Marat Safin and Dinara Safina, she also coached Anna Kournikova, Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina. Simon Cambers |