Andy Murray is pondering his next move after splitting from coach Amelie Mauresmo ahead of a packed summer.
The British number one ended his two-year association with Mauresmo, during which he finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic in two grand slam finals, by mutual agreement on Monday.
Mauresmo, who gave birth to her son Aaron in August, was interested in continuing the relationship but admitted the demands of life on tour had been a strain.
Her presence at tournaments this year has noticeably reduced and while she was present at the Australian Open final in January, her only other appearance this season came at the Miami Open.
“I’ve learned a lot from Amelie over the last two years, both on and off the court,” said Murray in a statement.
“She’s been a calming influence in the team and we will all miss having her around.
“I’ll take some time to consider the next steps and how we progress from here, but I’d like to thank her for everything she has done, she’s been an invaluable member of the team.”
Murray now looks set to be without a specialist coach for at least the first part of a hectic summer that includes the French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and the US Open.
Britain’s former Davis Cup player and friend of Murray’s Jamie Delgado was added to the coaching team earlier this year and he may play a more prominent role in the coming weeks.
Jonas Bjorkman also worked with Murray alongside Mauresmo last year, successfully implementing a more attacking side to his game, but there is no suggestion the Swede will return.
Murray has enjoyed a close relationship with Mauresmo over the last two years, defending the Frenchwoman from early criticism, which he perceived as prejudice against female coaches, and praising her calming influence.
The dynamic, however, has appeared less rosy in recent months.
She sat in a different part of the stadium to the support box in March as Murray suffered a particularly bad-tempered defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Miami Open.
After the match, the 28-year-old said he had been “trying to find different ways to improve my focus on the court”.
Mauresmo marked her departure from Team Murray by wishing him well for the future.
“Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me,” she said.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the great team of people he has around him.
“Dedicating enough time along with the travel has been a challenge for me.
“I wish him and (his) team well and I hope he goes on to win many more titles.”
