Andy Murray was reminded on Saturday that the only time he played a fellow Brit before at Wimbledon was in 2016, when he went on to win the title.
‘Brilliant. Great. Can we start celebrating now?’ responded the Scot with his usual humour, as dry as the chalk dust that once used to line the All England Club courts.
He was referring to a distant victory over compatriot Liam Broady, which on Tuesday is likely to be replicated when he faces 267-ranked wild card Ryan Peniston.
Murray’s long history at SW19 follows him everywhere at this time of year, which he once admitted would mean the annual onset of mouth ulcers due to anxiety.
He still admits to nerves when he is around the Centre Court, but these days is more relaxed as he intends to relish every visit while he still can.
Andy Murray (left) has admitted he has an idea of when he would like to retire but believes he is still ‘one of the best grass-court players in the world’
The Scot will take on Ryan Peniston (pictured above) in the opening round of Wimbledon on Tuesday in an all-British affair
Murray (left) has been preparing on Saturday for the tournament completing a practice session with Novak Djokovic (right)
Saturday involved another flashback, in that his practice partner for two hours was Novak Djokovic, the man he beat to win his first title 10 years ago. Murray can boast that he remains the last man to have defeated the great Serb on Centre Court, as his only two subsequent defeats both happened on No 1.
Now 36 and with a metal hip, Murray is only too aware his time at the top level is finite, which feeds his enjoyment of what he has left.
‘As you get towards the latter stage of your career, you want to make the most of these opportunities because you don’t know how many more times you’ll be here,’ he said. ‘I have an idea in my head of when I would like to stop. That’s not definitive. A lot of that is just I think it is good that so you can start planning a little bit.’
Murray’s last Grand Slam title came in 2016 and he believes he is in good stead to challenge again this year
He will, however, not be doing something similar to Rafael Nadal, who announced he is sitting out this season in the hope that he can mount a farewell tour in 2024.
‘I don’t think I would announce anything way ahead of time because I want to play as long as I can whilst I’m still competitive. I want to finish on my terms when I’m fit and healthy and competing at a good level. I’m aware, based on how my last five, six years have gone, that things can change very quickly, you can’t control that entirely.’
Roger Federer, for example, also knows that only too well. The last set he played turned out to be in 2021, and he lost it 6-0.
It is clear that Murray is still ambitious at this tournament, and he arrives ranked 39, his highest position since the onset of hip problems in 2017. ‘I can’t say I’d walk away from the tournament and be really disappointed if I performed how I still think I can.
‘That’s what I want to do at this tournament. I want to go out there and perform at a level that I’m happy with. I do feel like I’m in a really good position to do that. I have the experience at this tournament.
‘There’s only one player in the draw that has more experience of playing here than me, which is Novak. I need to use that to my advantage.
‘I believe I’m one of the best grass-court players in the world, and I’m physically feeling really good. I prepared well, so there’s no reason why I can’t have a good tournament.’ Peniston should be a relatively straightforward introduction, although Murray was keen not to dismiss him: ‘He’s had some good wins on the surface. A lefty, he moves very well. I need to be ready for that one.’
Murray is likely to have half an eye already on a potential second round against number five seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Greek left him furious when they met at the 2021 US Open by taking a prolonged toilet break —the Scot is not a big fan, and that will only motivate him more for a probably early evening showdown next Thursday.
Murray said he ‘felt he was in a good position’ to challenge next week but admitted he was going to relish the opportunity to play at Wimbledon once again
Murray (left) defeated Djokovic (right) to win his first title at Wimbledon in 2013 and admitted it was ‘nice to be back out on the court with him’ ahead of the Championship
Murray (pictured above) will be one of the most experienced players in the field next week, alongside Djokovic, and admits he will look to utilise that next week
By contrast, he has always remained on decent terms with Djokovic, even though the Serb has broken his heart often enough, particularly at the Australian Open.
‘It was nice to be back on the court with him again,’ said Murray, pleased by how he shaped up against the player who is the gold standard.
‘The thing that you have to admire about him is that he’s been very clear on what it is that he wants to achieve, trying to get that Grand Slam record.
‘When he put himself in a position to do that he delivered. He didn’t look like he was getting nervous or overthinking it or any of those things. It shows the strength of character that he’s got.’