Former world No.1 Andy Murray has vowed to take ‘nothing for granted’ as he closes in on his return to the tour following an hip injury.
The 30-year-old, who hasn’t played a competitive match since Wimbledon, confirmed on Saturday that he will play at the Citi Open. An ATP 500 event in Washington that will start from July 30th. It will be part of Murray’s preparations for the US Open, which he missed in 2017. The three-time champion is pondering adjusting his summer schedule on the tour compared to previous years.
“We chatted about maybe playing a couple of tournaments there start of the summer, then maybe not playing as much as close to the U.S. Open,” Murray told The Washington Times. “We kind of look at different things that worked in the past . . . I can be a little bit more flexible.”
Murray has played in Washington on two previous occasions. In 2006 at the age of 19 he was runner-up to Arnaud Clement in what was only his third ATP final. More recently, in 2015 he suffered a shock second round loss Teymuraz Gabashvili.
After failing to get fit in time for the start of this season, Murray took the decision to undergo hip surgery in January. Since then, he has undergone intensive rehabilitation to regain full fitness. In the past, he has also suffered from injury problems, but admits that this is the toughest he has ever faced in his entire career.
“This time’s been harder. . . . There’s been a lot more ups and downs this time,” Murray said. “It’s been a longer and lot more complex than the back issue. Having been through a back injury and a difficult surgery before helps, but the back injury was easier because I was back on the court competing quite soon afterwards.”
It is for this reason why the British No.2 now has a new outlook about life on the tour. For him, he admits that he didn’t realise how much the sport meant to him until his lengthy break. Murray is currently ranked 29th in the world despite not playing since July.
“I’ll enjoy it more. I think when you go through an injury like this you realize how much you miss playing, how important it is to you.” He explained about his comeback.
“I like pressure. I miss that, something that you don’t get in day-to-day life, something that I’ve had as part of my life for, well, it’s been 13, 14 years since I became a pro. I miss that. I miss the competition.”
As the momentum gathers concerning Murray’s comeback, it is unclear as to when it will start. He has already entered the Libema Open in s-Hertogenbosch, which will take place straight after Roland Garros. There is also the possibility that he could play a couple Challenger events prior in either Glasgow or Loughborough. According to the BBC, a decision concerning if he will play in Glasgow will be made by Wednesday.
