Andy Murray revisited his experience of Jose Mourinho's man-management after being reunited with him at Queen's.
The 32-year-old won the men's doubles title at the Fever-Tree Championships alongside Feliciano Lopez, and 24 hours earlier saw Mourinho on the practice courts.
Mourinho, who is yet to return to football following his departure from Manchester United, largely built his reputation on his motivational qualities while with Porto and Chelsea, and after a defeat to Roger Federer in 2014 Murray experienced some of those qualities for himself.
"He's a big tennis fan; I've met him a few times and he's come to Queen's a few times as well," Murray wrote of the Portuguese in his BBC column.
"One of the times I met him, and for me this was very interesting, was after I lost to Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in 2014.
"I lost 6-0 6-1 and I was 5-0 down in the second. I got absolutely killed by him.
"When I was walking back to my locker room from the court I saw Jose, and he just came up to me and hugged me.
"A big hug, no words. That was it.
"It was nice because often in those situations people try to find words and nothing really works.
"He didn't have to speak because I got the feeling he felt for me that night and he wanted to show that.
"So it was great to see him again at Queen's and I always enjoy chatting to him, especially about football."
Murray and Brazilian Marcelo Melo have been drawn against top seeds Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal in the first round of the doubles at Eastbourne.
"It is a challenge mentally and very different to singles," he added. "Basically you have to be less selfish as a doubles player.
"That's a good thing for me and something you have to continually learn, which I hope to do with Marcelo this week."
