Bizarre dreams infiltrating Andy Murray's sleep
Tennis star Andy Murray is ready to turn to a sports psychologist to help him combat a bizarre series of dreams in which the result of the biggest two matches of his life were reversed.
Murray revealed that during his sleeping hours he has imagined that he emerged victorious from this year's Wimbledon final against Roger Federer – a match he actually lost in four sets.
Conversely, Murray has started to dream about losing to Federer in the men's Olympic final earlier this month – a match Murray won in straight sets in front of a patriotic home crowd on Wimbledon's Center Court.
"Like four days after Wimbledon, I dreamt that I won Wimbledon," said Murray, who eased through his first-round match on Monday at the U.S. Open by beating Alex Bogomolov Jr. "I woke up in the morning, I was just starting to feel better and that didn't help.
"And then a few days after the Olympics I dreamt that I lost in the final of the Olympics. Obviously waking up and remembering that I had won was nice. As for the U.S. Open, I'll keep you posted. I'm staying in a quieter hotel than usual this time and trying to make sure I don't spend too much time around the courts.”
After discussing the matter with his coach and advisor Ivan Lendl, and his mother Judy, Murray is considering turning to professional help to see if he can prevent the dreams from reoccurring.
Murray has previously derided the use of sports psychologists, claiming that they "all say the same thing," insisting there is greater value from seeking advice from former athletes.
However, Lendl and Judy Murray feel there is nothing to lose in finding out if there is a solution to the dreams, which have provided an interesting topic of banter during Murray's press conferences but have also led him on an emotional rollercoaster at the time when he should be resting.
Lendl, the icy Czech star of the 1980s with an unflappable demeanor and nerves of steel, has been brought in specifically to get Murray over the line and help him win that elusive major title.
The drama of winning the Olympics on home soil was certainly a step in the right direction, but Murray's career will feel unfulfilled if he is unable to find a way to break the Grand Slam monopoly of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic over the next couple of years.
Lendl is a master of fine details and was behind the decision to keep Murray away from many of the typical U.S. Open distractions this time around. If the dreams threaten to turn from an amusing talking point and into a problem, the coach will be certain to take swift action.
"There is already enough stress on match days," said Lendl.
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