MURRAY: MY TWO FIGHTS WITH COVID

ANDY MURRAY has revealed he tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time before his return to the ATP Tour today.

The former world No.1 (above) was forced to miss the Australian Open after failing a test last month.

He returned to action for the first time since last October at the secondtier Biella Challenger in Italy.

But Murray, 33, said his build-up to the recent event was complicated by another positive test due to viral shedding – and this could happen for the next three or four months.

“It’s been difficult,” said Murray. “Although it sucked to miss Australia, I expected at least it would make travelling easier because I’d had it and had the antibodies.

“But you can still test positive three to four months after you’ve had the virus when you’re shedding it.

“When I arrived in Italy I tested positive. I had to go through more testing and had to quarantine when I arrived to get tests, wait in my hotel and get a local nurse to come and test me. I then tested negative a couple of days later and was allowed out.

“I could test negative for seven days in a row and because of the shedding, in 10 days’ time I could test positive. It is a concern.”

Murray, now world No.121, will face world No.83 Egor Gerasimov (above) of Belarus in his opening match at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier this evening.

He insisted: “I still feel like I can compete for big events. I wish I had been able to show that in Australia.”

The Scot revealed he was too frustrated to watch the Australian Open and even unfollowed players on social media during the event.

“It was a struggle,” he said. Novak Djokovic beat new world No.3 Daniil Medvedev to win his 18th Grand Slam and maintain the Big Three’s domination of the Majors, with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal leading the way.

“I expected the final to be closer,” added Murray.