Murray begins planning for US Open challenge

Scot gears practice and rehab to competing at next month’s Grand Slam

Andy Murray and Johanna Konta are both planning to play at the US Open if it goes ahead as planned in New York next month.

The ATP and WTA Tours have been on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Murray and Konta will be taking part in the Battle of the Brits Team Tennis event next week at Roehampton.

Former men’s world number one Murray, US Open champion in 2012, is to play in the doubles as he steps up his own rehabilitation.

The Scot remains focused on the showpiece hard-court Grand Slam event at Flushing Meadows, which is scheduled to start on August 31.

Asked if he was expecting the event to go ahead, Murray replied: “Yeah. As it stands. We have to try and prepare that way, we were saying four or five weeks ago, you know, we were pretty sceptical about it but mentally at some stage you need to start preparing and planning for that.”

Murray, 33, continued in the Metro: “My training this week, for example, during the event next week, I’m planning to try and be there in shape for the US Open.

“If it wasn’t happening my schedule for practising, my rehab would all be a bit different. So yeah, mentally I’m planning for it to go ahead.”

Murray revealed there had been some doubts over the event a few weeks ago, and while still somewhat

“apprehensive”, he hopes tennis can follow other sports back into action.

“I was thinking about travelling somewhere beforehand to get in some hot-weather training, but then you’re increasing your risk of catching the virus, which means you can’t train or travel for a couple of weeks, which could then put playing a Grand Slam in doubt,” Murray added in the Guardian.

“Hopefully it can go ahead but, if not, I’m also OK with that. It’s not like I’m saying it must go ahead. We need to try to get back to competing when it’s safe to do so.

“Some sports have gone back, and seem to have done well, football, for example. The issue for us is the travel.

“Hopefully we are getting tested before we arrive, and once we get there. The players, the staff and everyone, we’re in this secure bubble. Everything will be fine – that is my hope.”

Murray suggested he would probably try to compete at the ATP Western & Southern Open, which has been switched to Flushing Meadows as a warm-up event ahead of the US Open.

“I’m not particularly keen on playing back-to-back weeks but it’s also kind of in a situation here where you’re potentially not getting to play in a proper tournament for like – well for a lot of the guys it’ll be five, six months – but for me like 10 months since I last competed properly,” said the Scot, who continues to work his way back from hip problems.

British women’s number one Konta, meanwhile, also indicated she would head to New York.

“To be honest, we haven’t had any (WTA player council) meetings for a few weeks now, but everything is pointing in the direction that it is going to go ahead,” the 29-year-old said.

“Just basing my opinion information that is there, probably will.” on all the I think it