Yeah, I agree. I am too not getting Andy's smile either. Some of the Murray fans think it's so cute and cheeky but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that. I have a hunch but I want to wait for it until the end of year.
Wimbledon will tell a lot or perhaps it will tell all.
Ha ha ha. I can't wait. Do spill the beans, Emma.
It's actually not too mysterious, really. You know how Andy is and how he berates himself if he's not happy with his own play. Lately he's stopped doing it because he's performance he is now finding at appalling level and that's generating that sarcastic smile at his own self. If you watched any of his recent matches, you would see him smiling after errors that he wouldn't be making otherwise. He smiled in the same manner after he won against Almagro because in his mind, he didn't feel he was the true winner.
If he's berating himself or kicking himself - that would mean he still wants to play well and win the match. And that he has some fire left in him and he's trying to ignite that. Lately he doesn't even feel that and he smiles at himself because he finds it hopeless.
I guess he had relied on Lendl a bit much to motivate him when things are down (it was bound to happen after the Wimbledon win, something he chased all his life) but the sudden departure of Lendl brought him even more down. He did not at all see that coming so he feels clueless.
It's a pity though that he's unable to motivate himself. He badly needs a coach who will bring him back from his own misery and will motivate him to achieve something much bigger. It will have to be someone he truly likes, because he's the kind of a person or player who likes to win for others. He's already done a great deal for his country so whatever is left will have to be something for himself and he's not too keen on that.
Let's see what happens. Let's see who he hires. He has finally narrowed it down to a couple of people but he hasn't talked to them yet. Let's see if this new coach can do wonders. It will be a lot up to Andy as well and I hope Andy understands that too.
This doesn't mean though he's depressed. He's, in fact, a bit too happy and content.