No Open high hopes for Murray
NEW YORK – As one of the most prominent names in men’s tennis the past decade, Andy Murray is accustomed to being considered a candidate for victory at a Grand Slam tournament.
This year, no one is anticipating the 31-year-old to leave the US Open as the champion. Not even Murray has that kind of high hopes, taking into account he is on the comeback trail and making his first Grand Slam appearance since Wimbledon 2017.
A right hip injury, which eventually required surgery in early January, kept the Scotsman off the courts for nearly 11 months. His return started during the grass-court season in June and has been nothing short of sporadic.
“It feels slightly different, this one because, again, 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,” Murray said Friday at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “That feels a bit odd.”
Murray, a former world No. 1 who captured the first of his three Grand Slam titles at the 2012 US Open, will kick off this year’s Open by facing James Duckworth of Australia on Monday. This marks the first time that Murray is unseeded at a Grand Slam in 12 years.
Initially, Murray wasn’t sure how serious his injury was and had journeyed to New York to compete at last year’s US Open before determining less than 48 hours out he would be unable to play. In the end, his return came in June at the Queen’s Club tournament in London, where he fell in the first round.
Being benched for so long taught Murray that as frustrating as it was to have his career in an untimely stall, a silver lining can be found in adversity.
“That was the best part about being injured, or the only good part about being injured, was I got to spend lots and lots of time with them (his daughters) growing up,” said Murray, whose family just joined him in New York.