What's Causing Andy Murray's Slump as Clay-Court Season Approaches?
With a bounty of points to defend, the upcoming clay-court swing is crucial for Andy Murray.
His current form suggests a murky forecast. Because of a Miami Open meltdown, he's on the ropes and searching for answers to break out of his malaise.
In the sweltering heat of Key Biscayne, Florida, Murray didn’t exactly keep his cool. From arguing over the use of the wrong balls, to taking out anger on his racket during a changeover, yelling at his box (what else is new?) and blowing a 3-1 lead in a decisive set against Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, Murray had a week to forget.
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Expectations were high for him entering Miami, where he not only trains and lives part time but owns two tournament wins. He's extremely comfortable there and seemed like a solid pick to at least make a deep run. Crashing out so soon subsequently raised a few eyebrows.
Including that defeat and a recent third-round exit in Indian Wells at the hands of 53rd-ranked Federico Delbonis, Murray's dropped three of his last five matches dating back to an Australian Open final loss to Novak Djokovic.
Falling early in Indian Wells and Miami shouldn't warrant any major alarm bells to go off, but they're emblematic of a missed opportunity. As Roger Federer nurses injury and illness, Murray had a chance to really solidify that No. 2 ranking.
His lead narrowing, Murray could slip below Federer in the next few weeks, which would open up the possibility of landing in the same half as Djokovic in the French Open draw. Good luck there.
Outside of Davis Cup play, Murray's ATP results have been strong yet unspectacular since last August when he won the Rogers Cup. Unable to capture any titles during that span, he's lost even more ground to his chief rival, Djokovic.
Vacillating between brilliance and self-destruction, Murray's been far too inconsistent lately. Just look at those losses to Delbonis and Dimitrov where he hit an uncharacteristic amount of unforced errors. His game is anything but sharp at the moment.
Finding a clear answer for his recent woes isn't a cut-and-dry task. The reality is a variety of factors could be working against him.
For starters, he played a whole lot of tennis last year—85 tour-level matches to go along with eight more in Davis Cup action. It's reasonable to assume he might be feeling a little burnt out. On the bright side, maybe those quick exits from Indian Wells and Miami can help him recharge the batteries. Hey, glass half-full.
Physical fatigue is one thing. As a new father, Murray is likely going through another kind of ringer as he adjusts to his new lifestyle at home. Raising a child while constantly traveling around the world sounds plenty stressful. It takes a special kind of energy to juggle those responsibilities.
"Life has just changed for him and he's just trying to regain momentum, but at the moment it's a bit of struggle," former British player Annabel Croft told BBC Sport. "He's probably a little bit more drained in every area and suddenly there's a lot more to think of off the court. So, I definitely think it's affected him."
There's probably more than a kernel of truth there. But let's not blame fatherhood, which is infinitely more important than how he does on the court. After all, Djokovic and Federer adjusted to being a dad extremely well. He'll get the hang of it.
If anything, he's finding more peace away from the game since his daughter's birth. As he told the Guardian's Donald McRae:
"For other players it hasn’t worked out as well. But [fatherhood] is a positive thing—and tennis not being your priority can help. It lends perspective when you have a bad loss or bad practice. The outcome of a match is not everything but I want my daughter to be proud of her dad when she grows up and sees what I did.
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Could there be turmoil in his camp? Murray shot down those rumors and insisted things are solid between him and Amelie Mauresmo, although let's be honest: He's worn out a decent share of coaches in his career.
Setting aside speculation and examining his play and demeanor, Murray's biggest issue seems to be a lack of confidence. Chasing (and repeatedly falling short of) Djokovic built internal tension, and a few head-scratching losses escalated it. Momentum can be tough to corral and even more difficult to hang on to.
And he needs to find some quickly as play transitions to the dirt.
This clay-court season, Murray is defending a little over 2,000 points. Titles in Madrid and Munich along with a semifinal appearance at the French Open showed he can't be underestimated on the terre battue. Now, he has to back that progress up.
“It’s important to get the next couple of weeks spot on because clay has been a surface that I’ve struggled on a bit in the past,” Murray told the Telegraph's Simon Briggs.
Not performing well on the clay would only add more pressure as Wimbledon and the Olympics approach. Plus, with so many uncertainties surrounding Federer, Rafael Nadal and defending Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka, Murray has a realistic shot to make the final in Paris—if he can get it together.
Add up all those elements—fatigue, fatherhood and frustration—and it's no wonder his form has dipped.
Odds are that Murray will find a way to balance everything and raise his level soon. If not, we'll be asking more questions.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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