IVAN LENDL wants Andy Murray to “ruin” Novak Djokovic’s bid for tennis immortality.
Lendl, back in the saddle as Andy Murray’s head coach, is full of admiration for the Serb’s achievement of holding all four Grand Slam titles at once.
Djokovic has in his sights the first calendar-year Slam since 1969 and the first ever Golden Slam in men’s tennis — all four Majors and an Olympic gold.
But Lendl said: “Andy and I would like to ruin those plans if we can.
“I don’t believe there was a time other than in 1938 when Don Budge won and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969.
“If you start looking at it that way it’s phenomenal.
“It’s something that hasn’t been done for a long time, almost 50 years, and hasn’t been done by anyone other than two men, so you have to respect that.”
Lendl would not be back with Murray if he did not think the British No 1 could rain on Djokovic’s parade.
It was he who helped turn Murray from a serial runner-up into Britain’s first male Grand Slam winner since the 1930s.
Lendl said: “I think it’s very different this time.
“Until you win one you never know you have it in you. We know he has it in him now, so the question is can he do it again?
“I think that’s an easier question to answer than, ‘Can you do it at all?’.”
Another question is why Lendl himself has returned to tennis’ frontline, having split with Murray in 2014 because he felt unable to commit to all the travelling.
The hips don’t lie, it seems — Lendl has a new lease of life after having both of his replaced.
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He said: “It’s a bunch of factors. I feel younger because I sleep at night.
“With the hips I wasn’t sleeping at night, it just aches and you can’t sleep well.
“I’m trying to get fitter again and enjoy that part of it.”
It remains to be seen just how many weeks Lendl will spend on the road with Murray, who has stressed the importance of the 56-year-old seeing “eye-to-eye” with Jamie Delgado, his 40-week-a-year assistant.
Their first task is to defeat British No 2 Aljaz Bedene in the second round of the Aegon Championships today, Murray’s first tie with a countryman since losing to Tim Henman in 2006 in Bangkok.
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