Murray Creates a Job Description for His Coach

As Andy Murray finally concentrates on his long-delayed search for a coach, the Scot is getting suddenly serious about what he wants and needs from a mentor to whom he will be paying top dollar for advice and guidance.

"I'm looking for someone who can come to the big events with me, who isn't restricted in terms of the weeks they can do," the three-time Grand Slam finalist told the BBC. "If they can't come to the French Open, for example, then for me that's quite a big negative. I'd like them to be around at the big events.

"It shouldn't be a problem to disagree, it happens all the time. I'm sure many people have disagreed with me and I've disagreed with people.

“I think it's good to talk about it calmly. You should be able to discuss it and it's important the person has the confidence to explain to you why. I want to have someone I can have that good communication with."

Murray has said 'thanks but no thanks' to potential job nibbles from former players Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, both of whom went public with advice for the slumping No. 4 who has not won a match since January and has now lost his last four for the first time in his career..

"For a lot of ex-players, it's easy to say, 'Yeah, I'd like to coach him,' but it's a big commitment and you can't just dip in and out of big events and spend two weeks with the player and not see them for six weeks," said Murray. "Communicating over the phone in sport doesn't really work. You need to spend quality time on the practise courts."