ANDY MURRAY is heading into a busy summer without a coach after announcing his split from Amelie Mauresmo.
The British number one has worked with Mauresmo since June 2014 and reached two Grand Slam finals in that time, losing both to Novak Djokovic. Murray's management company issued a statement on Monday claiming the decision was mutual.
Mauresmo gave birth to her son Aaron in August and made clear to Murray she wanted to continue, but her presence at tournaments this year has noticeably reduced. She watched on as Murray was beaten by Djokovic in the Australian Open final in January but, otherwise, has only been with the Scot as coach at the Miami Open in 2016.
In her statement, Mauresmo hinted the logistical demands of life on tour had taken their toll: "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."
Murray said: "I've learned a lot from Amelie over the last two years, both on and off the court. 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 coach for at least the first part of a hectic summer, which 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. Mauresmo 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".
There is also Murray's ongoing struggle against the brilliance of Djokovic. Mauresmo's last official match as coach saw Murray lose the final of the Madrid Open to the Serbian last Sunday, a result which means he has now lost 12 of their last 13 meetings.
Djokovic's dominance may prove impossible to break, but finding a plan to upset the world number one will surely be a priority for whoever he hires next. Murray will be hoping to continue his encouraging clay-court form in Rome this week, where he opens up against either Croatia's Borna Coric or Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin in the second round.
A strong showing in Italy will set the Briton up nicely for the French Open, which begins in Paris later this month.