The British idol begins this Monday against the Australian James Duckworth in the first round of his favorite tournament.
The buzz Emma Raducanu, surprise winner of the US Open 2021, has almost eclipsed across the Channel the return to light in recent weeks of the hero Andy Murray. Many British journalists attended the press conference of the 35-year-old champion on Saturday, in the midst of a renaissance. Given lost to tennis due to his recurring hip problems, which had required several operations, Murray is still moving. And quite well. Beaten in the final in Stuttgart by Matteo Berrettini (6-4, 5-7, 6-3), the Scot made an impression by notably dropping Stefanos Tsitsipas (7-6, 6-3) in the quarter-finals. ” I really have to rack my brains to track down my last win against a top 5 player.“, he then wondered. It was in November 2016 at the London Masters against Novak Djokovic…
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He had skipped the clay season with the exception of the Masters 1000 in Madrid, to devote himself above all to his blessed grass. The double winner of Wimbledon (2013 and 2016) is still waiting for his first title on this surface for six years. Almost no one dares to imagine seeing him crowned a third time at the All England Lawn club, but he could play the spoilsports. It must be said that the Scot finds a second youth under the leadership of Ivan Lendl, the coach who led him to the title in 2013 and 2016. “ Having Ivan (Lendl) in my team helps. We have had great success in the past. We know each other well. He still believes in me. There are not many coaches, people who have done that in the last period, and he has.»
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Ranked 134th at the start of the year, Murray, world number one for eight months between November 2016 and August 2017, has now risen to 51st place in the ATP rankings. Despite his metal hip, he makes the pleasure last despite a bruised body. Last year, it reached 3e round. It had been four years and two operations on the right hip since the ex-world number one had not played singles at Church Road (defeat in the quarterfinals in 2017).
If he has clearly not regained his power of yesteryear, his knowledge of the game on grass and his resilience remain his main assets. The double Olympic champion (at Wimbledon in particular in 2012), is not the most spectacular player in history, but a formidable champion. Especially when he plays at home.