Andy Murray has never been known as the most cheerful player on court, or the one with the best coif, but his recent actions may not have improved either of those traits.
Whether a page out of Britney Spears’ book or just attempting to become more aerodynamic, the 19-year-old Murray announced earlier this week that he has shaved his head. He’s not bald, exactly, but has lost the mop-top that earned him his fair share of criticism and punch lines in tennis circles as well as in print.
“I did shave my head but not that short. It’s not great but I’ve got to deal with it, don’t think I will be doing it again anytime soon!” said the not-so-pleased Scot confessed on his official website, andymurray.com. “My hair grows real fast, by Miami it will be a decent length.”
The 14th-ranked Murray is currently in Indian Wells, California, competing for the Pacific Life Open, where he lost in the second round to Nikolay Davydenko last year. Now ranked some 30 positions higher in the ATP rankings, the British No.1 hopes to improve upon those results or risk reading headlines like “Oops, I did It Again.” If he does make it past the round of 64, he will likely meet the No. 23 seed, Marat Safin, who has had his own hair issues in the last year, sporting a Gaston Gaudio-like bun last season before chopping off his locks gradually to their current length.
Many eyes will be on Murray as well as his on-court rival and off-court friend, Novak Djokovic, who is just one week younger than Murray and ranked one position higher in the world rankings. The two are currently the youngest ranked players in the top 50 and in a race to become the youngest man in the Top 10.