Former world No.1 John McEnroe has backed Andy Murray to emulate rivals such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in staging a strong comeback in 2019.
Murray, who is currently ranked 259th in the world, returned to the tour in June following a 11-month hiatus. The Brit was sidelined from action due to a hip injury, which required surgery in January. During his comeback this year, Murray played in a total of six tournaments. Out of those events, his best result was a run to the quarter-finals of the Washington Open. Overall, he achieved a win-loss record on the tour of 7-5 before deciding to end his season early in September to train.
Despite his slow comeback, McEnroe believes Murray has the ability to rise back to the top. So far in his career, the 31-year-old has spent 41 weeks as world No.1 and won 45 ATP titles. He is a three-time grand slam champion and a two-time Olympic gold medallist.
“He was able to be one of the best players of the last 10 years and winning majors by his athletic ability,” McEnroe said of Murray during an interview with The Daily Mail.
“If he’s at 100 per cent or close to it I would expect he would be in the top 10 within six to nine months. But if he’s at 80 per cent, that’s a totally different person.
“Looking at what Federer did at 36, looking at Nadal. Djokovic suddenly was the old Djokovic this year, so I’m sure he looks at those guys and thinks: ‘I should be able to do something akin to that.”
Since ending his season, Murray has been training across the Atlantic in America. Spending time in Philadelphia before going to Florida. Last month he said that he was ‘getting better each day’ in a special video made for the Brisbane International. Brisbane is set to be the first tournament he will play in 2019.
“I’m feeling physically a little bit better every day,” Murray said in the video.
“It’s obviously been a tough year with the hip injury and the surgery, but I’m getting closer. I’ve been practising already for a few days and I’ve still got a couple of months to get myself in the best shape.”
Testing times for Edmund
In Murray’s absence, Kyle Edmund has occupied the position as the highest ranked British player in the men’s game. The 23-year-old reached his first grand slam semi-final at the Australian Open before winning his maiden ATP trophy at the European Open in October. Edmund, who coached by Fredrik Rosengren, is currently ranked 14th in the world.
“I think it’s realistic that he can be in the top 10, but he’ll be feeling pressure early on in the season and his ranking will drop out of the top 20 if he doesn’t do well there,” said McEnroe. “He has to handle that emotionally, knowing there’s a full year ahead.”
Throughout the season Edmund has been hampered by periods if ill-health. In November he underwent surgery to remove his tonsils, which was found to be infected. Solving the mystery of why he continued to suffer from illness.
Ironically, it wasn’t illness that cut his season short. Edmund withdrew from his final tournament of the year, the Paris Masters, due to a left knee injury after a scan discovered a small amount of fluid.
Like Murray, Edmund will also start his season in Brisbane.
