What Andy Murray Needs to Change to Win a Grand Slam

Andy Murray has been in three grand slam finals. He has won sets in none of them.

Clearly something needs to change.

Seen as one of the most talented players with a keen tactical sense and brutal consistency, Murray has overcome some of the best players in the game. Unfortunately it has never happened on its biggest stage.

Here are seven things he needs to change in over to get over that hump.

Increase His First Serve Percentage

We’ve all seen Murray rocket 130 mph bombs. We haven’t seen him do it at a percentage higher than 50 percent.

Murray needs to find a way to increase his first serve percentage because his second serve lets his opponent into the point and extends his service games uncomfortably. 

Capitalize on Break Point Opportunities

Having been in three grand slam finals, of course Andy Murray has had chances. He just hasn’t capitalized on them.

He went up in the third set against Federer at the Australian Open in 2010 but gave the break back and couldn’t finish the set in the tiebreaker (even though he had set points).

In his finals against at Nadal at Wimbledon, it has always been the Spaniard who has played the most important points better and Murray who has ultimately succumbed.

If he wants to beat the best players on the biggest occasions, he needs to convert his chances when they come.

Show Up in the Final

On his way to the final, Murray has often played brilliantly, but when he has gotten there he has faltered.

Murray needs to play with the confidence and strength that he had in his prior matches and not let the magnitude of the situation get to him.

Stop Playing Passively

In the finals he has been in, Murray has played far too defensively, allowing the match to be played entirely on his opponent’s racket.

He needs to be aggressive and control the baseline rallies like we know that he can, and not float groundstrokes at sixty miles per hour for his opponent to put away.

Learn How to Overcome Federer

In two of his three finals, it was Federer who stopped him.

Murray knows how to beat him and has on many occasions, but never at a major. He needs to play Federer like he does in his masters series matches and not let his aggressive, high tempo play take over.

Learn How to Overcome Nadal

In most of his Wimbledon runs, it was Nadal who stopped him.

Murray holds a poor record against the Spaniard because Nadal does what Murray does but better.

In order to beat Nadal he needs to change his game plan, meaning continuously be aggressive and not let Rafa out grind him.

Learn How to Overcome the British

Murray’s second opponent in Grand Slam finals has always been British expectation.

They haven’t had a champion for what Federer called 150,000 years, so clearly there’s some pressure there.

If he ever wants to win a Grand Slam, though, he has to find a way to let that pressure escape him.