Andy Murray to Make Major Changes in Team at Stockholm Open 2021

Published 11/08/2021, 7:09 AM EST

Former World No.1 Andy Murray will make his tournament debut at the 2021 Stockholm Open this week. The Briton accepted a wildcard to the ATP 250 event and will face Norwegian qualifier Viktor Durasovic in the opening round.

Interestingly, Murray will be working with a new coach, Esteban Carril, in Stockholm for a week’s trial. The Spanish coach played a pivotal role in Johanna Konta’s climb from outside the Top-100 to the Top-10 WTA rankings.

Andy Murray to work to Esteban Carril

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The idea is for Carril to add extra input to Murray’s team as the 34-year-old is trying to resurrect his career in the aftermath of lingering hip issues since 2017. However, the news doesn’t imply that Murray’s head coach Jamie Delgado, who has been by his side for the last five years, is leaving.

While Murray’s ranking has risen from No.172 to No.144 over the last month, he has suffered early round exits in most of the tournaments in the same period. Therefore, Carril might be a valuable addition to his team as he heads to the 2022 season.

Last month, the newly crowned US Open champion Emma Raducanu had a trial with Esteban Carril. Following her US Open triumph, Raducanu is looking for a long-term coach but as per sources, Carril is out of contention for the post.

Meanwhile, Raducanu will compete in her last tournament of the season, the Linz Open. Traveling without a coach, her mother Renee and agent Chris Helliar have accompanied the WTA star to the city.

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“I’m here on my own and being my [own] coach again this week, which I think is really good for me long-term. I’m really feeling positive about my coaching situation. It’s in a good place. And yeah, I will have a coach in place in the Australian Open.” said Raducanu.

Over the years, Murray has worked with a series of coaches, including the likes of Ivan Lendl and Amelie Mauresmo. The 3-time Grand Slam champion was at the pinnacle of men’s tennis in 2016. He won his second Olympic singles gold medal, the US Open, the ATP World Tour Finals, and ended the season as the No.1 ranked player for the first time in his career.

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However, his woes started the following season as his troubles with the hip injury began, which resulted in two hip surgeries and kept him out of action for nearly three years.

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Kshitij Tayal is a Tennis author at EssentiallySports. Having played district level tennis competitions, Kshitij is also a tenured journalist of the sport with over four years of experience. At EssentiallySports, he pens down some thought-provoking pieces on players and tournaments across the ATP and WTA.

Andy Murray to Make Major Changes in Team at Stockholm Open 2021

Andy Murray to work to Esteban Carril

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