It is always difficult to get into the mind of Andy Murray but it feels like he has banked on Queen’s and Wimbledon to define his tennis year. Murray feels he is a threat to anyone on grass so he is going all-in on the upcoming month.
He believes he can still cause some serious damage. I think he’s right. He knows the surface so well, he understands the nuances of how it takes spin and how it bounces. Grass plays differently. Other top players are not as keen on the surface. Murray embraces it.
We saw glimpses this year of the tennis he can play. He has struck the ball well. At times, it was like the old days were back again, he just has not sustained it. That is what he is searching for and the win at Surbiton was a good step.
He is pushing to be seeded but, even if he doesn’t get one, I’m not as concerned as perhaps he is by that. Shove him anywhere in the draw, he will be a threat. Murray would be the most dangerous floater in Wimbledon history.
Even if he draws Novak Djokovic as an unseeded player, it is always better to play him early.
Andy Murray is banking on the upcoming grass season to define his year in tennis
Murray is a two-time Wimbledon champion and will believe he can be a big threat again this year
The issue will be if it doesn’t go to plan and he doesn’t have a good season on grass. He has found it difficult to win matches easily and if he gets a bad section of the draw and has to come through some five-setters, that will take its toll.
What then? If he doesn’t show the sort of threat that he hopes, in the tournaments he has banked on, that will be a real blow. He may wonder if it is time to call it a day if he cannot do the damage he still believes he can.
I understand that but I hope he doesn’t. He is no longer the powerhouse of tennis he used to be, he is not going deep in Grand Slams, but tennis could do with Murray sticking around.
The sport has already lost Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal is injured and said next year could be his last. We will be losing two of the biggest names in the sport’s history.
We still have Djokovic, who looks determined to add so many Grand Slams to his tally that no-one will ever catch him, but he’s not as popular as he should be. I think he will only get the recognition he deserves once he retires.
Carlos Alcaraz is going to be the next tennis superstar but he is not there yet and I was also a bit concerned about his complaints of cramp and nerves in France.
If he isn’t seeded at Wimbledon then he will be the competition’s most dangerous floater in history
Murray is is no longer the powerhouse of tennis he used to be but the sport could do with him sticking around
Aside from him, tennis is still waiting for the next name to draw the crowds and seize the mantel. That is always going to be tough after an era of four megastars.
Murray is one of them. I love watching him play, he brings something to the court that’s different to other players. There’s still something special about him.
How can Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova not be given a Wimbledon wildcard when Russian players are back?
You can’t have it both ways. You are either all in or all out. If Russians and Belarusians are playing, then if a player deserves a wildcard, you give them one.
In any other year, Pavlyuchenkova would be nailed on. She reached the quarter-finals of the French Open and got to the final there two years ago. She has reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
I cannot imagine any other year when she wouldn’t get one. It’s only because of injury that she is not in the main draw.
How can Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova not have been given a wildcard at Wimbledon if Russian players are back?
Pavlyuchenkova has reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and in other years would be nailed on for a place
Pavlyuchenkova announced on social media she had not received a wildcard so will now skip the grass court season. She was disappointed and I don’t blame her.
Not to give her one sends a clear message — we don’t want you here.
So, what happens if Aryna Sabalenka wins the women’s singles title? Of all the Russian and Belarusians, she has the best chance. That’s not what they want.
Over the world, crowds have treated Russian players pretty well. There have been issues when they have faced Ukrainians but, in general, the response has been good. I think Wimbledon crowds will do the same.