Former world No.1 Andy Murray admits that he is unsure about how his body will fair during best-of-five matches at the US Open.
Murray is set to play in a major for the first time since the 2017 Wimbledon championships. Since then, he has missed almost a year of the tour due to a hip injury that required surgery in January. The Brit began his comeback in June at The Queen’s Club and has featured in only four tournaments. Winning four out of seven matches played.
“I haven’t played one [since losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year to Sam Querrey], so you don’t know until you actually get out there and do it.” Murray told reporters on Friday about five-set matches.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old did receive a mental boost at the Citi Open. In Washington he played and won three consecutive matches that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours. Scoring victories over McKenzie McDonald, Kyle Edmund and Marius Copil. Although he withdrew from his quarter-final match against Alex de Minaur due to fatigue.
“I played some long matches in Washington. They were all over two and a half hours, and a three-hour match. Three of them in four days. The benefit of the slams is having that day off to recover in between, which will help me.” He said.
Unlike previous years, the US Open is very much unfamiliar territory for Murray. He won the Flushing Meadows trophy back in 2012 and has reached the fourth round or better every year since. Nevertheless, this time round his expectations has been significantly lowered. Saying that his chances of winning the event this year is ‘unrealistic.’
“For the last 10 years or so I’ve been coming and trying to prepare to win the event whereas I don’t feel like that’s realistic for me this year,” he explained.
“It’s a slightly different mentality for me coming in than what I have had the last 10, 11 years of my life.”
Despite playing down in chances, the current world No.378 is confident of returning back to the top of his game. So far in his career, Murray has won 45 ATP titles and spent 41 weeks as world No.1. A series of achievements that has earned him his place in the ‘big four’ of tennis alongside Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“It’s going to take a little bit of time before I get back to that level but I think I can do it. It just might not be this year.” Murray concluded.
Murray, who used his protected ranking to enter the US Open draw, will start his campaign against Australia’s James Duckworth. Later in the competition, he could play Feliciano Lopez in the second round followed by Juan Martin del Potro. He will play his first match on Monday.
