After a brief break from coaching professional tennis, Ivan Lendl will return to the ATP Tour in 2025. He will partner with Chilean Nicolas Massu, a former player, and Dominic Thiem’s former coach, to coach Polish player Hubert Hurckaz.
Lendl, the former World No. 1 and 8-time Grand Slam champion was credited with helping Andy Murray achieve his greatest success. He coached Murray from 2012-2014, 2016-2017, and 2022-2023. In between as Murray was out of tennis dealing with injuries, Lendl had a brief and unsuccessful coaching stint with Alexander Zverev in 2019.
Bring it on, 2025! 💪 #team
_______________________Ciśniemy, 2025! 💪 pic.twitter.com/eaEPJT0Uem
— Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) November 29, 2024
Hurkacz is the second most famous Polish tennis player behind Iga Swiatek. He achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 6 in August 2024 but has fallen to World No. 16 since then. Craig Boynton was his coach for the past five years.
Ivan Lendl And Andy Murray Could Coach Against Each Other
In the ultimate irony, Ivan Lendl could coach against his greatest pupil, Andy Murray. Murray surprised the world by becoming Novak Djokovic’s coach for the 2025 Australian Open. Murray and Djokovic are the same age. Djokovic said he wanted someone who could identify and understand what he has experienced. Djokovic parted ways with his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic in 2024.
While Murray as a player does not have the titles and wins that Djokovic has, he was a member of the Big Four with Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal in the heyday of men’s tennis in this millennium.
What Ivan Lendl and Nicolas Massu Bring To Hurkacz’s Game
Hurkacz, 27, has been a pro since 2015 and has eight career titles. Aside from a semifinal run at Wimbledon 2021 and a quarterfinal finish at the 2024 Australian Open, he has not played well in Grand Slams.
Lendl coached Murray to three Grand Slam titles. Massu, the 2004 Olympic champion in men’s singles, was Thiem’s coach for his 2020 US Open win.
Hurkacz is bringing in Grand Slam-winning coaches to his team in what appears to be a concerted effort to improve his Grand Slam results.
