Kuala Lumpur: Former world No 1 Ilie Nastase has said he has no plans to follow the trend of past tennis greats becoming coaches.
Gulf News asked the Romanian whether he would be interested in becoming Wimbledon champion Andy Murray’s new mentor, following the Scot’s decision to end his two-year association with eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl last month.
But Nastase, speaking ahead of last week’s Laureus World Sport Awards, scoffed at such a suggestion, questioning why Murray and other top stars needed a high-profile personality in their corner.
Murray’s appointment of Lendl was followed late last year by 17-time Major champion Roger Federer hiring the former Swedish star Stefan Edberg and world No 2 Novak Djokovic recruiting the services of Boris Becker.
Nastase, a flamboyant and temperamental talent in the 1970s, said: “I don’t think these guys need a coach. They need a good friend maybe. Or a good-looking girl, I don’t know. I don’t think they [former stars] can help much. What can they do? He [Murray] knows how to play the game. I think he just needs someone to trust him and practise with him. Not necessarily a big guy or name, I don’t believe in that.
“Djokovic did well without Boris Becker. Maybe he’s using him to boost his image, I don’t know.”
