Andy Murray's Former Coach Breaks Silence on Split: 'It Hurt a Lot' - Yahoo Sports
Daniel Vallverdú, currently coaching Grigor Dimitrov, recently opened up about his memorable coaching stint with Andy Murray, offering deep insights into the intense demands and emotional challenges that came with working alongside one of the game's greats. Vallverdú, who coached Murray for five years, said the experience was nothing short of attending a university.
“For me I always say working with Andy as my first job as a coach was like going to Harvard and being there for 10 years with the best professors in the world. Not only the experience but also the demand that comes with it- everyday you have to be a 100%”, he said in a Spanish interview with Feliciano Lopez.
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For Vallverdu, the relationship with Andy Murray dates back to their doubles playing days, when they were almost impossible to beat. They had a very good friendship and chemistry together when they were young. He later went on to become Murray’s coach, when Murray offered him the role. This personal connection was important in causing the split between them says Daniel. Daniel says he broke off the coaching partnership to save a decade-long friendship.
“For me, that's why I always saw it as- not going to be a long-term relationship. We were together for 5 years because if you're so sincere and you understand the pressure that exists at that level on a daily basis and above all knowing Andy, the ambitions he had to compete with the big three and each match was a drama whether you won or lost,” said Vallverdu recalling the tough moment.
Andy Murray (GBR) returns a shot against Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) on day one of the 2011 Wimbledon© Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
“It's not sustainable to be honest with a player for 10 years every day,” he continued. “After four and a half years like this I already felt that the personal relationship was not the same as it was 5 years ago. And that's when I sat down with him and I said 'Andy these have been some of the best years of my life and I've loved being with you on the tour, but I think If we continue our personal relationship, it won't be the same in the future that it would hurt me a lot just because of these years of working together so closely’,” said Daniel.
He says the pair are now back on talking terms and everything has been restored to normalcy, however he recalls that it did hurt him a lot to part ways with Andy Murray. “It hurt a lot, but little by little after a year or two the relationship returned to what it was before and we are both very content with the time we spent together and also with the decision to part ways.”
These fresh new details about the split between Andy Murray and his former coach, gives us an insight into the complicated intricacies and battles players have to deal with off the court as well.
