Murray says revised ATP schedule isn’t safe for players

LONDON — Andy Murray took issue with the ATP’s revised calendar on Saturday, claiming that it’s not safe for players who will be forced to skip major events due to the tight schedule.

The ATP Tour, like a number of sports, has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is slated to restart on Aug. 14 with the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., with the Western & Southern Open (Aug. 22) and U.S. Open (Aug. 31) close behind.

The clay-court swing will begin on Sept. 8 in Kitzbuhel, Austria, with Masters tournaments in Madrid and Rome beginning on Sept. 13 and 20, respectively. The French Open is slated to start on Sept. 27 in Paris.

“It’s not safe for players to go from the semifinals or final in New York ... and then play in Madrid at altitude on clay when they haven’t competed for a long time,” Murray told reporters during a news conference at the Battle of the Brits exhibition tournament in London. “You’re going to have the potential where a lot of top players are not competing at many of the biggest events.”

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, intimated that he will skip the Western &

Southern Open to prepare for the U.S. Open.

“I would rather play Washington and miss the event the week before at the U.S. Open if they all go ahead,” he said.

The Western & Southern Open is typically held in Cincinnati but was moved to New York this year to accommodate scheduling.

Murray, 33, won the U.S. Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. He also won Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Overall, Murray has won 46 career singles titles, including nine in 2016 when he climbed to No. 1.