The 2015 tennis season is a month away, and with it comes a blank slate for the players.  They all begin with a fresh bid to take advantage of new opportunities and accomplish new goals.  And yet, for all of these “new” and “fresh” chances that are on offer for each and every player, at least one element from 2014 will carry over for Andy Murray.  His current coaching relationship with Amelie Mauresmo will remain under an even greater microscope of scrutiny.

Following Ivan Lendl’s exit, Murray raised more than a few eyebrows when he named Mauresmo to replace the Czech great as his new head coach.  Unfortunately, his play in the second half of 2014 under the tutelage of Mauresmo did little to allay fears that he had made the wrong decision in his choice of coaching selection.  He may have qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals, but he did so late in the year and produced performances at that prestigious event that left much to be desired.  A particularly abysmal outing against Roger Federer in his final round-robin match had even his fellow Brit and friend Tim Henman criticizing the Scot’s play and suggesting he needed to seriously reevaluate the team he had around him.

Murray ultimately did take a hard look at his camp, and as numerous headlines emerged stating that players such as Simona Halep, Eugenie Bouchard, and Sergiy Stakhovsky were making major coaching changes, it seemed plausible that Murray might just be poised to do the same.  As it turned out, however, the former No. 2 did make some changes, but it was not by parting ways with Mauresmo.  Instead, he opted to split with longtime assistant coach Dani Vallverdu and trainer Jez Green.  Mauresmo, for the time being, has been given a reprieve. 

Frankly, it is good to see Murray giving his partnership with Mauresmo an opportunity to settle rather than hastily stopping it in its tracks.  The Scot spent much of last year trying to find his game following season-ending back surgery in 2013, and to be fair, Murray’s struggles to regain his form are much more typical for a player than the kind of resurgence his fellow competitor Rafael Nadal enjoyed upon his return to competition after troublesome knees forced the Spaniard out of the game the second half of 2012. 

Furthermore, at least on paper, Mauresmo has much to offer Murray.  As a former Grand Slam champion and world No. 1, she knows what it is like to deal with the pressure on the biggest stages in the sport.  Like Murray, Mauresmo was also a very cerebral player who possessed more variety in her game than the bulk of her competition.  That puts her in a better position than many to help Murray avoid over-thinking on the court and finding the right balance in utilizing all of the tools in his bag of tricks.  Presumably, Murray recognizes these attributes, and they may explain why he is not yet ready to give up on working with the Frenchwoman.

None of this is to say that Murray should continue to beat a dead horse, however.  As previously noted, at face value, there appears to be plenty of positives that Mauresmo can impart on Murray.  But as tennis has proven again and again, the greatest success comes from finding the best fit.  The most talented of players can see their careers dip or rise based on the voice in their ear, and no matter how decorated that voice may be, it is not a guarantee that it will help that player reach his or her full potential.  If the results are not there, then a change is necessary.

2015 will determine if Murray and Mauresmo are truly a winning combination.  Murray has had his time to get over his back surgery.  This past autumn, he finally found his way back to the winner’s circle, and he is remembering how to play the big points well.  The stage is set for him to return to the thick of it and once again firmly claim his place within the Big Four.  The unknown is whether he can accomplish that with Mauresmo at his side.  No doubt many eyes around the globe will anxiously look to see if the Frenchwoman can help him do just that.