Latest News and Commentary

Quick, besides both wearing white hats in this picture, what do Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have in common?

To start, they were both born in May of 1987 (actually just 7 days apart) and at 24 years of age, they’re two of the best tennis players on the planet. That’s where it stops, though, as Djokovic is currently number 1 in the world and now has 3 Grand Slam titles to his name, while Murray is ranked 4th and still awaits his first.

So far this year, Nole has put together a record of 58-2, and having witnessed his success, Murray decided that they need one more commonality as he recently took on Djokovic’s now famous gluten-free diet.

Murray, on his new diet (from the Daily Mirror):

“Now rather than having a chocolate bar, I’m having an apple or a banana”

Brilliant. A 24 year old elite athlete finally figured out that fruit is healthier than chocolate. Looks like schoolwork must have paid the price for tennis while he was growing up.

From Murray’s initial reaction, the diet seems to be working:

“I wish I had been doing it longer. I feel way better. I wake up at 7am now and feel great. Before I would wake up at 9.30 and feel terrible.”

It appears to be paying immediate dividends on the court as well, as Murray defeated Djokovic in Cincinnati, the last hard court tune-up event before the U.S. Open. (Note that Djokovic did not finish the match due to a shoulder injury)

The question is, will this change propel him to finally breaking through on the biggest stage?

Is It Murray’s Turn?

A healthy diet can help. It will add to Murray’s fitness and that in turn will add more confidence to his game.

The problem with Murray is that his issues have always been more between the ears than physical. In the 3 Grand Slam finals he has played – 2008 U.S. Open, 2010 Australian Open, 2011 Australian Open – he has not won a single set and he has barely shown up on the court. These losses have come despite an incredibly all-rounded physical skillset.

In those three matches – 2 against Roger Federer and 1 against Djokovic – Murray watched as his opponent dictated play while hardly adjusting his game plan and allowing the opportunities to slip away.

Djokovic on the other hand won his first Grand Slam title in 2008, long before his diet change, beating then number 1 Roger Federer in the semi-final en route to the Australian Open title. His problems since then were the opposite of Murray’s: inconsistent fitness levels were holding him back from his potential.

Nole was always a confident defensive player with stinging groundstrokes and the ability to hang on and fight during the biggest moments in a match, which is why the diet and new-found fitness have him dominating the world.

Will Murray’s imitation of Djokovic’s diet bring him the same success as his same-aged counterpart, who is an expert imitator himself? (see video below) England may be unhappy to hear this, but my prediction, bold as it may be, is no, it won’t.

Andy Roddick On Being A Tennis Analyst

After winning his first round match, Andy Roddick was interviewed by Chris Fowler, and Roddick had some thoughts on being a tennis analyst. This may have been taken as a joke by some, but it seems to me that there were some real feelings behind those words. See for yourself: