The famous management company which is currently responsible for sport stars including David Beckham has penned a deal with Andy Murray. 19 Entertainment is owned by Simon Fuller, the man responsible for the Spice Girls. The management company will look after the interests of the player both on the court and away from it.

After the deal was agreed, Fuller revealed that he was “very excited to be working” with the young British tennis star. Andy Murray is currently under the management of Ace Group but this contract will expire early in March. Murray has also penned a deal with CAA Sports, which will represent him in America. CAA Sports has experience of representing top tennis stars, with Novak Djokovic currently on its books.

Andy Murray’s brother, Jamie, who is best known for his exploits in the Wimbledon mixed doubles event, has signed the same deal. Fuller believes that the “innovative partnership” which currently exists between CAA Sports and 19 Entertainment will provide “global support” for the young pair. Andy Murray has shared the excitement of Fuller, revealing that it is a “fantastic opportunity”.

Hopes are high that Andy Murray will win a Grand Slam this year and the support offered by 19 Entertainment and CAA Sports will allow him to focus purely upon improving his game. Although the British tennis star’s profile has been steadily rising since he reached the final of the US Open last year, he has remained focused and professional, showing a maturity which belies his tender age of 21.

Andy Murray has warmed up in style for the upcoming tennis season with victory in the exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. Murray’s victorious run in the tournament included yet another victory over Roger Federer.

The Scot beat the tennis legend in convincing style and came up against Rafael Nadal in the final. Murray beat Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to collect the prize money of $250,000. The confidence boost which will result from these two victories will be of great benefit to the tennis player, who has been tipped by many to win a Grand Slam title in the near future.

Murray’s first real challenge of the season will come later this month at the Australian Open, although he will have another chance to hone his already impressive skills before this tournament at the Qatar Open. Nadal and Federer are also attending this event in Doha and will undoubtedly be hoping for more success.

Nadal believes that Andy Murray “has a good chance to win in Australia”, something which Murray has revealed he is aiming for, and was also keen to congratulate him on his win. Furthermore, Nadal revealed that he personally played a “very good match” but was simply outclassed by the young Scot.

Murray was in impressive form against the Spanish player and should have finished the match sooner than he did. All in all, early performances from the Scot bode well for the major tournaments of 2009 and have simply added to the hype surrounding the talented youngster.

Andy Murray has spoken out about his successful year in the world of tennis, despite recently missing out on the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

The player believes that he is coming close to winning a Grand Slam, an achievement which has always been a dream for the Scottish youngster. Andy Murray is still only twenty-one years of age but has climbed the world rankings this year to reach the lofty position of number four.

Reaching the US Open final was a highlight of his year and, although he was defeated by Roger Federer, his impressive run in the tournament proved to his many fans that he is capable of winning a Grand Slam in the near future. Murray stated that he did not believe he was able to win a major title until he came so close to victory in the USA.

The confidence that Murray, who has been working with a new coach since the latter stages of last year, has gained from his impressive season has given him the motivation to “work hard this off-season”.

He believes that putting in that extra effort in the short-term will give him the best chance of winning a Grand Slam next year. The player recognised that achieving this ambitious goal will be “very hard” but he is determined to give it his “best shot”.

Although Murray’s year has been filled with high points, the player was keen to discuss the low points as well. One such disappointment came at the Beijing Olympic Games, where Murray crashed out in the first round.

He has since blamed this failure on unprofessional behaviour during the build-up to the tournament. Despite this minor setback last summer, Murray’s growing confidence and self-belief should set off alarm bells in the minds of all his competitors.