‘Big W unsure, Andy can return’

HOPE FLOATS If three-time Major winner Murray’s recovery from hip surgery goes well, he will try to play for sure: Jamie

Andy Murray’s return to tennis remains a matter of intense speculation. It’s been two months since he broke down at the Australian Open while narrating his struggles with injuries and constant pain following a hip surgery, pushing him to the brink of early retirement. His choke at the Melbourne press conference gave a peek into the physical and mental barriers a top player has to overcome every day. Six weeks into his latest hip operation, Murray is weighing various possibilities but his tennis future remains uncertain, says coach Jamie Delgado.

Jamie, who has been part of Murray’s coaching team since 2016, was at the Delhi Gymkhana here for the Road to Wimbledon clinic. He spoke at length about the tough journey the three-time Grand Slam champion has been through and the determination he has shown to conquer pain and give his best on the court.

Excerpts

How is Andy Murray doing after the hip operation?

He is doing well. It’s been six weeks today that he has undergone operation.

What are the chances of Murray playing at Wimbledon?

We don’t know yet. We have to just see how it goes. If everything goes well, he will be looking to play. I don’t know about Wimbledon, but just as a whole if the recovery goes well and if he is feeling good, he will try to play for sure.

Can you talk about the tough period that Murray had to go through?

It’s has been incredibly hard for him since the injury got bad in the summer of 2017 because the pain has been constant. He had a few different goals in rehab and practicing. He has been an incredible guy, incredible character and keeps pushing himself each day. It is inspiring really.

We are hoping that with this latest operation a lot, if not all of the pain will go. For sure he will be happier because there will be no pain and the possibilities get better. It’s been hard and we kind of saw that in Australia. The level of tennis that he is able to play in last 6-7 months it’s amazing. When I look back, he is still pushing guys like Bautista in Australia and beat Goffin in China last year and considering the pain it’s incredible.

He just gave a peek into how demanding the sport is now...

Yeah, people only see the glamour matches, semi-finals, finals of Grand Slams where everyone is playing amazing tennis and are in peak physical shape. But you know these guys work incredibly hard to get to that stage, you have push yourself when at times you don’t want to. What you see is maybe the icing on the cake. But there’s a lot that goes into it for all of those guys.

You think too much of tennis is impacting the players?

I think it’s something the players have complained about in recent years. It’s an issue at all levels. Only the very best players like Federer can really pick and choose tournaments. Everyone else is trying to pick up the points because without the points you don’t get into a tournament and without the tournaments they are not making the money they want to make. It’s kind of a roll on effect. The Tour is always looking at that but yes the smart guys do take a bit of a break.

Where do you put Murray among the Big Four?

He has had an incredible career. Couple of Wimbledon titles, two Olympic golds. He is the only one to ever defend the Olympics, got to world No. 1, won the Davis Cup. I don’t want to compare with those guys. He deserves all of it. He has worked very hard from a young age and it’s not over yet.

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