Both Bouchard and Murray Part Ways With Respective Coaches

November 26, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Eugenie_Bouchard (5)
Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

As is customary in the tennis offseason, a couple of coach-player relationships came to a close on Wednesday as both Andy Murray and Eugenie Bouchard announced splits with their current coaches.

Murray announced on his Web site that he and long-time friend Dani Vallverdu, as well as trainer Jez Green, would not be working together in 2015. In the message the Scot left on his site, he says:

“We sat down at the end of the season and decided that a change would be best for all of us. My off season training and Australian Open preparations have already begun and I am very excited for the new year. I thank Jez and Dani for all their hard work over the years and wish them the best for the future.”

Vallverdu joined Murray’s team in 2010 as a hitting partner, and worked his way up throughout the last four years. He helped Murray win Olympic Gold at the Olympics, his first major win at the 2012 U.S. Open and his magical run at 2013 Wimbledon.

The relationship began to strain a little earlier this year as Murray announced a partnership with Amelie Mauresmo, something he kept under wraps from his coaching team. He ensured his commitment to Mauresmo after winning three titles at the end of the season which led to the inevitable split between the friends of five years.

The seventh-ranked Bouchard and her coach, Nick Saviano, also announced the two would not be together in 2015.

“Genie and I have decided that it is best for us to end our player-coach relationship and to move in different directions for 2015,” said Saviano in a press release on Monday. “Helping Genie grow from an ambitious 12-year-old to number five in the world has been an exciting journey.”

The two have been together for the last eight years in cooperation with Tennis Canada. Bouchard enjoyed her most successful season to date in 2014, rising from number 32 to as high as number five in the world rankings and reaching three Grand Slam semifinals, including a trip to the Wimbledon final.

She was awarded the WTA’s Most Improved Player Award last week, a year after she took home WTA’s Newcomer of the Year in 2013.

Bouchard has yet to make an announcement on who will coach her in 2015.

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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