Allen Clarke has left his role as Ospreys head coach after a dire start to their 2019-20 season.

They have won only once in six Pro14 games and lost heavily to Munster and Saracens the Heineken Champions Cup.

Clarke signed a three-year deal with Ospreys to be head coach in April 2018.

The former Ireland hooker joined the region as forwards coach in summer 2017, and became interim boss in January 2018 following the departure of previous boss Steve Tandy.

Losing at Liberty Stadium to South African team Southern Kings on 9 November was arguably the lowest point in recent Ospreys history.

It prompted Clarke to admit the team was going through a "dark period" along with the belief they would "come out the right side of it".

Clarke's exit as head coach comes soon after Ospreys announced backs coach Matt Sherratt is leaving at the end of the current campaign.

Ospreys host another South African team, Cheetahs, in the Pro14 on Saturday hoping for a boost to their morale.

In addition to having a host of players unavailable at the start of the season because of the World Cup in Japan, Ospreys suffered a glut of injuries to available players, making Clarke's task even tougher.

However, he leaves the head coach role having steered them into Europe's top flight this season via a 21-10 qualification play-off win over Scarlets in May.

HURON, S.D. — The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is returning to Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., on Saturday, Aug. 22 in an event presented by Dakotaland Federal Credit Union.

The event will mark the Outlaws third visit to the three-eighths-mile located at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds. Donny Schatz, the 10-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion, is undefeated with the series at the track, scoring a win in the series most recent trip to Huron in 2017 as well as winning the inaugural event at the venue in 2015.

Leading the way will be Brad Sweet, who claimed his first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship this year. The California native won a series-best 16 races en route to claiming the title by four points over Schatz, who won 11 races.

Also on the tour again in 2020 for most of the races will be David Gravel in the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41, along with 2013 series champion Daryn Pittman, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, who claimed the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award in 2019, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen and Jason Sides.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR and IMSA have announced a number of leadership promotions across the sales, business, partnership marketing and operations.

At NASCAR, Frank Kelleher has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer. Additionally, Michelle Byron and Jeff Wohlschlaeger have both been promoted to Vice President, Partnership Marketing.

Kelleher will oversee a team responsible for business strategy and revenue generation across the sanctioning body and its 14 motorsports entertainment facilities. In his new role, he will lead a sales force comprised of two critical business areas, partnership and media sales.

Kelleher, a 16-year veteran with International Speedway Corporation, will assume the role of NASCAR Chief Sales Officer, which was previously held by Jon Tuck, who has left the company to pursue other opportunities. Kelleher will continue to report into Daryl Wolfe, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations and Sales Officer and will be based in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“As collaboration becomes increasingly important across our sport, Kelleher’s industry knowledge and strength in creating lasting relationships has proven to be a valuable asset throughout his career,” said Wolfe. “Frank has taken a leading role in delivering strategic sponsorships across our entire ecosystem and we are excited to have him lead our sales operation during this important time for our sport.”

Byron and Wohlschlaeger will oversee a team that is responsible for managing and delivering value to the wide-ranging number of brands invested across the sanctioning body and its track facilities.

Byron has been with NASCAR for nearly 20 years and has been accountable for managing a team focused on driving value for Official Partners such as Axalta, Chevrolet and Mobil 1. She has been instrumental in developing key partner initiatives including retail programs, live fan events and national promotions.

Wohlschlaeger has more than 25 years of sports industry experience spanning across the Chicago Bulls and NASCAR. Most recently, Wohlschlaeger was responsible for delivering value for entitlement partners Monster Energy, Xfinity and Gander Outdoors, implementing strategies that helped strengthen and differentiate each series.

Both will report into Jill Gregory, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.  Byron will be based in Charlotte, N.C., and Wohlschlaeger will be based in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“Sponsorship is the lifeblood of our sport and delivering value to our partners will always be a primary area of focus for our organization,” said Gregory, “Michelle and Jeff bring a wealth of experience and established industry relationships that will help our partners navigate our ecosystem and maximize their return on investment.”

Meanwhile, IMSA announced that David Pettit has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing and Business Operations, and Brandon Huddleston has been promoted to Vice President, Partnership Marketing and Business Development.

Pettit will continue to lead the sanctioning body’s marketing efforts, and his role will be expanded to include IMSA Properties led by Rick Humphrey. Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Sebring Int’l Raceway and Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel comprise IMSA Properties.

He joined the organization in 2009 and has played an integral role in IMSA’s historical growth with oversight for marketing and partnership development, later adding IMSA Communications to his role, along with oversight of IMSA’s TV and digital platform growth. He most recently added responsibility for IMSA’s technology operations.

Huddleston, in his nearly 15-year tenure with the company, has had roles in almost every facet of the marketing department. He currently leads the partnership marketing team as well as automotive business development. Past roles have included developing the current sponsorship structure, implementing a robust licensing and merchandising program (including the 50th anniversary program) and event promotions.

Under his new role, he will continue to lead the corporate partnership team and also oversee non-endemic business development along with event and promoter relations. He will continue to report to David Pettit.

“I want to congratulate David and Brandon on these well-deserved promotions,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said. “I have known them both for many years and have always been impressed by their passion and commitment to making IMSA better in everything they do for our stakeholders. I look forward to them being a part of IMSA’s senior management team in 2020 along with our Vice President, Competition Simon Hodgson and new President, John Doonan.”

WILMETTE, Ill. — The world’s two most successful race operators have recently gone private with their business transactions after being traded publicly for decades.

How does this change the motorsports landscape?

October 2019 will be recognized as a landmark period in the business of motorsports.  Both International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. are no longer publiclytraded entities.

International Speedway Corp. and NASCAR announced their intention to merge late last year.  The France family offered to acquire the outstanding shares they did not own and take the company private.

The initial offer of $42 per share was raised to $45 after a set of negotiations, litigation and review by financial advisers. A set of independent directors (non-France family members) recommended approval.

A proxy vote was sent to outside shareholders and approved by a majority. As a result, shares under the ticker symbol ISCA are no longer being traded on NASDAQ.

The deal that made International Speedway Corp. a privately held company was valued at $2 billion.

ISC shares were traded publicly for more than 20 years, after the initial IPO in 1996.

Subsequent to the delisting, ISC was purchased by NASCAR and became a wholly owned subsidiary.

Speedway Motorsports’ timeline was shorter. Company officials announced a desire to go private in April.

Bruton Smith and his family offered to buy all outstanding shares it did not own, starting with an offer at $18 per share and ending up at $19.75 per share. The deal to take SMI private is valued at $800 million.

The majority of NASCAR Cup Series tracks are now under the private ownership of the France and Smith families. NAS­CAR/ISC owns 12 venues and SMI holds eight.

Why did these companies go private?

The primary reason is to face the headwinds of a competitive economic landscape.

Being able to make decisions without the scrutiny of the public markets is attractive.  Meeting quarterly analyst estimates and expenses for regulatory compliance is no longer necessary.

Decreasing attendance, declining television ratings, a challenging sponsorship environment and the uncertainty of broadcast contract renegotiation are the industry’s biggest concerns. The expiration of the tax break for motorsports facilities is also a factor.

Significant changes are being discussed about the future of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, with a reduction in the number of races and a shorter season among the possibilities.

The broadcast contracts have been the most consistent — and largest — source of revenue for track operators. The current contract expires in 2024 and is valued at $4 billion. It pays about $800 million annually for a bundle of media rights covering NASCAR-related properties.

Uncertainty over the renegotiation of these contracts is significant due to the rapidly changing media landscape. A guaranteed increase is not a given and plateaued levels of revenue are possible.

In addition, the sponsorship model is being redesigned to offer tiered levels. Series entitlement and category exclusivity will no longer be the focus. Flexibility and bundling of rights with multiple properties will be the norm.

The key to the future is strategic flexibility. The France and Smith families are making significant commitments to the future of the sport and they have the backing of the financial institutions. They must be willing to innovate and make changes and the racing community will ultimately benefit from well-thought out decisions.

MANCHESTER, England -- When you're Marcus Rashford, there is rarely a day off.

Granted a rest by Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to recover from an international break during which he was scored in both England games, Rashford decided against spending the day with his feet up. Instead, he was at the Selfridges store in Manchester city centre encouraging people to help the homeless this Christmas.

United's No. 10 turned 22 on Halloween and those closest to him talk about a player and a person who is becoming more and more mature. Having scored 10 goals in his past 11 games for club and country, including one in the 3-3 draw with Sheffield United on Sunday, he is in the form of his life.

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Off the pitch, he is beginning to use his platform -- he has nearly 10 million followers on Instagram and Twitter combined -- to promote messages other than "focused on the next game" and "we go again". He has spoken out on racism in football and voiced his concern when The Sun newspaper printed a controversial story about English cricketer Ben Stokes.

Rashford's efforts to help the homeless in Manchester has morphed into the In the Box Campaign -- a drive to collect essential items to hand out to homeless people over Christmas -- but it started with the Rashford family, mother Melanie and brothers Dane and Dwaine, handing out money on the street. In other words, Rashford is not just a famous face to front a charity.

"I just remember even when I was a kid, we used to train in Salford and at the time we didn't drive so we used to get a bus into town and a bus out of town," Rashford says. "And between the two bus journeys, you have to walk through the city centre. And probably every morning you'd see five or 10 different people, and from then it was in my mind. As I got older, I'm in a position to make a difference for them.

"It's a no brainer for me, I think. Why not?" Rashford continues. "That's how it all developed [the In the Box Campaign] and just stemmed from there. This is the most productive way ... For me, this type of stuff is making a bigger difference to our lives than just giving them money."

Part of Rashford's aim is to give something back to Manchester, the city that has shaped him whether he has lived in Withington or Sale Moor. As United fans sing whenever he scores, he is "Manc born and bred."

"Everyone knows everyone, I wouldn't say it's a normal community," says Rashford. "I've lived in three or four different places in Manchester and each place is as much as home as the last place. The people around your neighbourhood -- it's all just very, very homely. I think as a city that's massive and we have to use that to our advantage.

"I'm from one part of Manchester but people from all over Manchester are coming in and helping." Rashford continues. "It's something that coming in I expected and Manchester is a beautiful city and the more people that get to know that the better."

It is approaching four years since Rashford, well-grounded and well-spoken, burst into United's first team with two goals on his debut as a teenager. Since then he has scored on his Premier League debut, Champions League debut, League Cup debut, England Under-21 debut and full international debut. He has reached 50 United goals in fewer games than Cristiano Ronaldo and in July signed a new contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2023.

Rashford is one of the most recognisable faces in the world, but it is only now that he is starting to reveal parts of his personality. Shielded by United, he rarely does interviews except for one or two minutes after games when he is requested by the various broadcast companies who pay for the privilege. A dedicated professional, he can usually be found at his Cheshire home or at Manchester United's training center, Carrington.

He has not yet played 200 games for United, but he is already the face of Solskjaer's young team. Along with Jesse Lingard, Rashford has been key in helping youngsters like Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams settle into the squad. His emergence has coincided with a turbulent time at Old Trafford and while Ryan Giggs played nearly 1,000 games under one manager, Rashford has already played for three.

"Of course you have ups and downs, and for me it's all part of the journey of becoming successful," said Rashford. "If there are downs then you take them all day long. I'm obviously very happy in my position right now and you just want to keep improving and keep bettering yourself as a person."

Despite playing during a relatively lean period in the club's history, Rashford has still managed to collect winners' medals in the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League. But he has signed up for four more years on the understanding that he will be able to win the Premier League and the Champions League with the team he has supported since he was a boy.

"It had to be United for me," said Rashford. "You know, I remember when I was younger, you used to go and train at other clubs and as soon as I trained at United that the first time, that was it. I remember saying to my brother, 'I don't want to go to anywhere else now. And that the feeling of a family that we have in Manchester, when I went to United, that was the exact same thing.

"It's like one big family and everybody, the coaching staff, from all ages, they all want the best for you. I think that's what draws people into Manchester United. Once they become a part of it, it never leaves them. When I was a kid this is this is what I dreamed of doing."

Maxine Blythin, the transgender cricketer who was recently named as Kent Women's Player of the Year, has revealed she was shocked by the negative reaction towards her.

Blythin, who was born with a condition that meant she failed to go through male puberty as an adolescent because her testosterone levels were too low, won the award in late September without major fanfare. But when controversial columnist Katie Hopkins responded negatively on Twitter earlier this month, it sparked a raft of vitriol on social media against Blythin.

While the furore did not necessarily surprise Blythin, it was all the more shocking to her given the support she had received from friends, family and many in the cricket community.

"From obviously reading media stories you know that that kind of mentality is out there," Blythin told Sky Sports. "There are people who just don't like you because you're different or you don't fit into their binary norms that they see.

"You get a lot of hate mail, some more extreme than others. It's probably the hardest thing, I think, for someone like me to experience because because it's someone saying, 'you are not valid, I get to decide who you are, not you', without any understanding of the biology behind it, the science behind it, and just in general how your brain works.

"My friends have all been accepting. My family, with some time, were very accepting. At work I've never had any issues, on the sporting field, not a single comment, no issues. In just general life, going to the shops, going anywhere, not a single issue at any stage. I've just been living my life being a normal human, going to work, going to the shops, paying taxes."

Blythin paid tribute to Kent captain and England opener Tammy Beaumont, who was quick to throw her support behind Blythin in a series of Tweets aimed at Hopkins, including one which said: "Personally I'm proud to call her my team-mate and my friend. So please attempt [sic] don't speak for me or my ovaries."

Blythin said she had spoken with Beaumont since to tell her how much she appreciated her support.

"Having someone who openly shows her support despite knowing what backlash you could get from it, from people who just don't know anything about the story, anything about biology, anything about who I am or what I'm doing, is very brave of Tammy and something I appreciate a lot," Blythin said.

| What a season she's had!

Your 2019 Kent Women Player of the Year is.... Maxine Blythin!#OnlyTheOrses #SuperKent pic.twitter.com/TRXWZ7NLTU

— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 27, 2019

The story did raise more nuanced debate surrounding possible physical advantages Blythin may possess over other women competing with or against her, especially that she is more than six feet tall. As an opening batsman, she helped Kent win the Women's County Championship this year, finishing her debut season as the county's third-highest run scorer.

Asked whether she had any physical attributes which might prove to be an advantage, Blythin said: "Nothing particularly, only the differences you get in humans in general.

"There are girls in my team who are a lot stronger than I am, there are girls with longer arm spans than I do, girls with bigger hands than I do, just in my own team, never mind the teams I play with or against. I've just got some naturally good bits, ie. tall is beneficial for some things, but I've got very thin arms.

"In my family I'm not considered abnormal. I've got a tall dad, a tall mum. I'm quite normal sized for my family. My sister is pretty tall as well."

While the ECB's playing regulations allow Blythin to play women's cricket simply by identifying as transgender, she would have to meet the ICC's more rigorous standards if she were ever selected to play for England, which includes a limit on testosterone levels. However, she said she would welcome the opportunity if it came along.

"If I was invited to, it would be the biggest privilege of my life," she said. "Speaking to people who have played at that level, even if it's just for one game, it's one of the biggest occasions of their sporting lives. I'd 100 percent say yes. I'm not expecting it but I would say yes."

Blythin also has a condition called gender dysphoria, where a person experiences discomfort or distress because their biological sex does not equate with their gender identity and she remembers feeling that way "before I can remember other memories".

"The first thing I can remember as a kid is thinking that way," Blythin said. Throughout my adolescence, my childhood, I always had that feeling of being different but without the way to articulate, without the knowledge to know where I stood.

"Back then, parents weren't given that kind of information, that kind of story was not easily accessible. You didn't have trans role models, you didn't have anything like that, so being able to articulate who you are was not easy."

Describing her experience of gender dysphoria, Blythin told Sky: "It's a feeling of disgust, a really hurtful feeling ... my best way is to ask what makes a man. If you come back and tell me it's what's in your trousers, you've not grasped what being a man is.

"You have to look inside yourself and really think. Now, imagine you're a man in a woman's body - but you're still thinking about what makes you who you are. To then have that body stare back at you in the mirror... that's the easiest way to explain it."

Asked to describe herself, Blythin said: "A woman, simple as. I always have felt that way, I've always wanted to articulate it as such."

Cricket South Africa has lost their arbitration case against the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA), with costs. That means the WPCA board, which was suspended by CSA in September over concerns relating to their governance and financial affairs, will need to be reinstated. CSA is understood to be challenging the decision.

On September 22, CSA disbanded the WPCA board and installed veteran administrator Andre Odendaal in its place. CSA and the WPCA had disagreements over a construction project at Newlands Cricket Ground. CSA provided WPCA with a loan of R81 million (US$5,5 million) to complete the building work, which will house a college, offices and several other facilities but then expressed concerns over the progress of the project. CSA also hinted that spectator safety could be compromised during the New Year's Test and suggested the fixture would be moved but then confirmed Newlands will host England from January 3.

Three weeks after the board was suspended, the WPCA launched an urgent application for CSA's decision to be overturned. They argued that CSA had "no right or entitlement," to step-in and should have held a hearing before suspending the board. CSA and the WPCA went to mediation to attempt to resolve the issue but failed and then proceeded to arbitration, which was won by WPCA.

CSA is also facing a second legal battle, against the South African Cricketers' Association, who have taken the board to court over a proposed restructure to the domestic system. CSA want to implement a 12-team provincial competition from the 2020-21 season which would wipe out the existing six-team franchise structure and create one domestic tier (South Africa currently has two).

Organisers say the 10km route was missing 23 metres so times, including Charlotte Arter’s fast 31:34, will not be officially recognised

Times recorded at this year’s Age UK Leeds Abbey Dash, including the 31:34 run by Charlotte Arter, will not be officially recognised after the course was found to be 23 metres short.

On Tuesday organisers announced that the race distance had been reassessed after the event and due to “slight alterations in the course landscape” it did not measure up to the full 10km.

“The race distance was found to be short by 23 metres,” said a statement in part. “This is approximately 4 seconds for athletes on a time of 29 minutes for 10k.”

At the time we reported how Arter’s mark was the fourth best ever legal British 10km time behind Paula Radcliffe’s 30:21, Liz McColgan’s 30:39 and Wendy Sly’s 31:29.

Arter won the race ahead of Abbie Donnelly (32:00) and Beth Potter (32:05).

The men’s title had been claimed by Omar Ahmed as he clocked 28:38 to finish one second ahead of Ross Millington as nine athletes went sub-29 minutes and 29 went sub-30:00.

“As you are aware, we had a very fast field of the top UK elite athletes competing in one of the UK’s favourite 10km road races,” said organisers.

“The race distance has been re-assessed after the event and due to slight alterations in the course landscape, the race distance was found to be short by 23 metres. This is approximately 4 seconds for athletes on a time of 29 minutes for 10km.

“This may be a small margin and still equates to a very fast time, but unfortunately times recorded at the event will not be recognised by UKA and Power of 10. We would like to apologise for this error and reassure you that the race will be relicensed for 2020.”

World 50km champion and world record-holder Aly Dixon was among those to have taken part in the event on October 27, clocking a 34:09 chip time.

“Kudos to the organisers for remeasuring but gutting for the athletes who thought they had ran a PB,” she wrote on Twitter. “My watch measured it spot on but I know they aren’t 100% accurate.”

Kudos to the organisers for remeasuring but gutting for the athletes who thought they had ran a PB. https://t.co/Umy0s1gaoo

— Aly Dixon (@alydixon262) November 26, 2019

Andy Murray's journey from a tearful admission that his career was likely to end after a major hip surgery to winning an ATP title less than a year later is one of 2019's greatest sporting stories.

Now the British former world number one's emotional journey over the past two years has been laid bare in a behind-the-scenes documentary, Andy Murray: Resurfacing, which is being aired on Amazon Prime from Friday.

Here are eight things we've learned from it:

His childhood experiences in Dunblane led to anxiety

Murray, 32, grew up in the Scottish town of Dunblane and was a pupil of the local primary school when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and their teacher in March 1996. He hid in the headmaster's study when the tragedy happened.

Murray knew the gunman and opens up about the traumatic experiences of that day, along with other emotional family experiences which have shaped his life.

After previously being asked by director Olivia Cappuccini why tennis is important to him, the three-time Grand Slam champion finally responds in a powerful late-night voice message.

"Obviously I had the thing that happened at Dunblane, when I was around nine," he tells Cappuccini, who is the partner of Murray's brother-in-law, in December 2018.

"I am sure for all the kids there it would be difficult for different reasons. The fact we knew the guy, we went to his kids' club, he had been in our car, we had driven and dropped him off at train stations and things.

"And within 12 months of that, our parents got divorced. It is a difficult time for kids, to see that and not quite understand what is going on.

"And then six to 12 months after that, my brother Jamie also moved away from home. He went away to train to play tennis. We obviously used to do everything together. When he moved away that was also quite hard for me.

"Around that time and after that, for a year or so, I had lots of anxiety that came out when I was playing tennis. When I was competing I would get really bad breathing problems.

"Tennis is an escape for me in some ways because all of these things are bottled up and we don't talk about these things.

"Tennis allows me to be that child. That's why it is important to me."

The tears in Washington came because he thought his career was coming to an end

Following a first hip surgery in January 2018 and a tentative return later that year, Murray had the more serious resurfacing operation in January this year in a bid to rid himself of the chronic pain he was still suffering.

One of the most striking moments of the first comeback was the scene where, after he had beaten Romanian Marius Copil in the Washington Open third round at 3:02am local time, the Scot sat down in his chair, draped a towel over his head and sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes on court.

Now we are told the full extent of his mental state. That was the moment when he felt his career was coming to an end.

In a video message filmed at 5:09am in the American capital, he says: "I was really, really emotional at the end of the match because I feel this is the end for me.

"My body just doesn't want to do it any more and my mind doesn't want to push through the pain barrier any more.

"I was just hoping I was gonna feel better than this after 16, 17 months.

"It's just an emotional night because I felt I'm coming to an end. I'm really sad about that because I want to keep going but my body is telling me 'no'.

"It hurts and I'm sorry, I can't keep going."

Wife Kim told him to quit after 'bleak' Christmas phone call

After another tough training block in Miami towards the end of 2018, Murray said he was getting "zero enjoyment" from being on court.

He calls his wife Kim, who was back home in London, in a phone conversation which she describes as "pretty bleak".

"He always wanted someone to tell him to stop and I'd tried to explain nobody could because it was nobody's decision to make other than his," she says.

"I knew that is what he wanted and I knew what he was calling me for.

"I told him 'you're clearly not happy, you said you'd give it until Christmas - I was putting the Christmas tree up - call it a day'."

He almost changed his mind about emotional Australian Open announcement

Although Murray had privately been thinking he was approaching the end, he had given few clues publicly and that meant a tearful announcement in a pre-tournament news conference at the Australian Open surprised the world.

Murray said he thought he could get through the pain until Wimbledon and then stop playing, although he also conceded the Grand Slam in Melbourne might be his last tournament.

Yet on the morning of his planned admission he still had doubts whether he should reveal all.

"I'm going to say something today, I know I'll get emotional," he says, two hours before facing the media.

"But I change my mind all the time. I need to say something. Or I don't."

Murray describes how he is feeling nervous, anxious and has butterflies in his stomach, while walking around that morning without much pain in his hip.

"When making a decision like that I want my leg to feel really sore," he says.

That led to doubts. So he calls his physio Shane Annun. "I'm thinking I'm making a mistake," Murray says.

His surgeon warned him of the dangers of making a tennis comeback

Murray eventually chose to have the resurfacing operation with renowned surgeon Sarah Muirhead-Allwood, who had previously operated on the Queen Mother, at the London Hip Unit.

At a post-surgery meeting, Murray speaks of how he is worried about damaging his hip again and needing further surgery if he goes back to playing tennis.

"What if I said, if you went back to playing first-class tennis, I think you've got a 15% chance that in the first seven years you could destroy the hip," she tells him.

Murray laughs nervously.

"That is what it is like, it's not it will or it won't. It is chances. For seven years of tennis would you take that risk?"

Murray initially doubted whether he would return to the court because he said he was happy with being pain free and given a new lease of life.

But his mum Judy correctly predicts that will change.

"My gut is telling me he has unfinished business. He's not fooling me," she says.

He watched a gruesome video of the hip surgery

No holds are barred when it comes to seeing the footage from Murray's two hip surgeries.

Early in the film, we see graphic images of his operation with Australian surgeon John O'Donnell in January 2018 and Murray assessing his post-op scar which he concludes looks "pretty neat".

Later, after deciding in January this year he wanted to have the hip resurfaced, we see him watching a gory video of someone else having that operation.

"I find that funny, that they're literally using a hammer," he says.

Shortly after, he is having the operation for real. Everything from the moment he lies down on the surgical bed - including graphic images of bloody instruments working on the joint inside gaping flesh - is captured by the camera.

"It's not a good idea to be running around a tennis court," Murray says dryly as he comes around from the operation.

Wife Kim, along with fitness coach Matt Little and physio Annun, joke that the remark must be captured by the filmmaker because they know he will change his mind - again.

He has a bromance with his physio

Murray's 'bromance' with Annun provides the lighter, and funniest, moments of the film.

"I'd love to marry Shane, I'd have so much fun," says Murray.

Annun says Murray likes to tap into his weakness - being "gullible" - with his other physio Mark Bender saying he views the pair as an "old couple that know exactly what buttons to push".

The pair's relationship is again captured while they are starting Murray's rehabilitation work after the second hip operation, a warm and funny scene where Murray shows his affection for the physio.

"The brilliant thing about having a sore hip is I can hug Shane and he can't get away from me because otherwise he will hurt my hip. He can't force his way out of my hug," he laughs.

These exchanges show Murray's sharp sense of humour and how he like to "wind up" his team. Bender also bears the brunt of Murray's cheeky humour as we learn his nickname is 'Slender'.

"It's ironic because he's not particularly slender," giggles Murray.

He used to feel there was animosity towards him

Murray's announcement at the Australian Open that an illustrious career seemed to be heading towards the end brought a universal showing of affection and respect towards him.

But it has not been until recent years - following Wimbledon, Olympic and Davis Cup triumphs which endeared him further to the British public - that he has felt it.

"He did used to feel there was a certain amount of animosity towards him," his wife Kim says.

"I think he would accept now there is a lot of love out there. What he has done, I have to pinch myself sometimes. I can't believe I've watched it happen."