Grading Andy Murray's 2015 Season and Looking Ahead to 2016
Andy Murray never leaves a decisive trail of success or failure, and 2015 is an ambivalent microcosm of his career. There’s always debate about his legacy during the era of his Big Three rivals, which often makes him an unappreciated superstar who must live up to greater expectations than he has produced.
In the dramatic theater of tennis, Murray is rarely at center stage like revered Roger Federer, fiery Rafael Nadal and relentless Novak Djokovic. He’s more like the trusted accomplice who does trench work but must take his bows behind the curtain.
The No. 2-ranked Murray understands the gap between his results and his ambitions. He is always chasing his super rivals for chances at major titles and legacy-defining wins, as he noted in Tennis.com last month:
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"Obviously this year [Djokovic's] level has been incredible. Since the beginning of last year, my results against him and Roger, from my perspective, haven't been good enough. I need to do better in those match ups. It's harder playing against the best players. Those two are two of the greatest players of all time, so there is no disgrace in losing to them. But I do feel like I need to start doing better in those match ups, because the scoreline in the last couple of matches there hasn't been good.
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Where does Murray’s 2015 stand in relation to his career? Was it disappointing, satisfactory or great? How will he respond in 2016?
Murray’s 2015 tennis year is the fourth of our five December superstar profiles that count down the top five players in men’s tennis. If you missed our three previous profiles with Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Federer, you may click their names in this sentence.
Grade: B+
Consistency returned with Murray in 2015, leaving behind nightmarish obstacles like back surgery, rehabilitation, coaching shifts and dismal play.
It’s probably Murray’s third-best year behind 2012-13 when he won his two major titles and the gold medal at the Olympics in men’s tennis singles. There was plenty of good and a few moments of great:
- Australian Open final
- French Open and Wimbledon semifinals
- First two career clay-court titles (Munich and Madrid)
- Two of the three Masters 1000 tournaments not won by Djokovic (Madrid and Montreal)
- Davis Cup title with Great Britain including 11-0 mark (8-0 singles, 3-0 doubles)
- Career-best No. 2 ranking for end of the year
It begs the question where this would rank on a list of greatest seasons ever in men’s tennis without winning a major title.
Would it be ranked higher than 1975 when Jimmy Connors lost all three of his major finals? Many players have lost two major finals in a year, including Roger Federer in 2015, without winning a major title.
Is it better than young Ivan Lendl’s 1982 season in which he amassed that 106-9 record with 15 titles?
Did Murray post the best non-major season in the 21st century, or would 2015 Federer get the nod?
For sure, Murray’s 2015 season is on the short list of “best seasons without a major,” a kind of distinction that has often defined Murray’s career. In time, 2015 might be forgotten by many, and it could fall into an unmarked bin labeled “underrated.”
Murray’s biggest obstacles or disappointments:
- Meltdown in the third and fourth sets of the Australian Open final.
- 1-6 record against Djokovic, including finals at Australia, Miami and Paris Masters.
- Lost five-set French Open semifinal to Djokovic
- Crushed by Federer at Wimbledon semifinal and Cincinnati final
So, it was another year of great highlights and close calls, well short of epic success.
Outlook 2016
Amelie Mauresmo is back from maternity leave, so Murray should have more cohesiveness with his leading coach. Interim head coach Jonas Bjorkman, who brought a lot of energy, will depart.
After a year of Murray’s usual success, capped by Great Britain's astounding Davis Cup title, 2016 is the time to think big and win a third career major. Which is the major he can most likely win?
Australia has often produced heartbreak, but he has made it to four finals in six years. Maybe this time he finishes it off with one of his greatest matches against Djokovic. Could that turn the tide for another rivalry burst between two of 1987's greatest tennis births? (Women's tennis superstar Maria Sharapova should be mentioned in that last class.)
Murray has had three career semifinals at the French Open since 2011, but 2015 was a leap forward for his confidence and results on clay. Could he be the surprise winner that denies Djokovic or Nadal?
Wimbledon is always in the cards for Murray with semifinals or better in six of seven years. He has the 2013 Wimbledon trophy, so at least some home-nation pressure has been alleviated. The British press can be merciless, but Murray understands the process. It should be old hat to him.
Injuries or subpar play really hurt Murray for chances at the 2013-14 U.S. Open, but it’s the right kind of surface for him to punch back with more power from the baseline.
Other goals like Masters 1000 titles and the Olympics are nice, but the majors are what he needs to close the enormous gap to Djokovic. Only then could we talk about a possible chase for the No. 1 ranking.
It won’t be easy, but any slippage from Djokovic could open a door or two for Murray. American tennis legend and popular commentator John McEnroe believes that Murray could be the one to dethrone Djokovic, according to his comments about Murray on The Tennis Podcast, via Stuff Sport:
"Ultimately, mentally, it's all about attitude and belief and getting yourself in a position where you think you can handle anything that's thrown at you.
And when push comes to shove, that's where the bigger tests come with Novak and that's hard to change.
"But the beauty about sports, is that things can change quickly ... more than you actually expect and this could be his next year.
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There’s a solid chance that Murray does pick up that third career major, and this could be his most satisfying achievement as his late prime years begin to wind down.
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