Andy Murray will continue playing if he stays fit, says former player
Andy Murray is going to be around for a long time if he can maintain his fitness, believes former player, coach and broadcaster Jason Goodall.
The soon-to-be 36 Brit won back-to-back five-set thrillers against Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 Australian Open, before losing to Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round. He was impressive at the Qatar Open as he reached the final, where Daniil Medvedev beat him.
After three consecutive first-round exits in Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid, the three-time Grand Slam champion headed to France and won his first Challenger title since 2005. Murray defeated Tommy Paul in the final of the Challenger 175 title in Aix-en-Provence.
Speaking to Goodall on the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast, McEnroe asked the former player if he thought this year's Wimbledon would be the last for Murray. Goodall lauded Andy Murray for regaining his fitness and delivering results this year, saying that he would play as long as his body holds.
"If you go back a year or so, that was the goal perhaps — to get fully fit and enjoy a really good run at the [Wimbledon] Championships and get a fitting farewell for somebody as good as Andy," Goodall said. "But his rank is 42 in the world now, he's going in the right direction. He's getting closer to being seeded in Majors again and you know what a competitor he is."
Murray recently expressed his wish to win his third Wimbledon title this year. Goodall was also impressed with the Brit achieving his highest rank (#42) in the last five years.
"He has gone on record and said, 'I'm going to play as long as I possibly can'. This is as fit and healthy as we've seen him this season, to be able to play back-to-back matches and win them, to get his ranking going in the right direction. He was outside the world's top 100, now 42. He beat Tommy Paul in the final. I mean, Tommy's no slouch," he added.
"So he's doing well. I think if he stays healthy and he's playing as well as he is now, he'll continue to play, there's no doubt" he concluded.
Andy Murray to face Fabio Fognini in Italian Open 2023 R1
Andy Murray will begin his quest for a second title in Rome against wildcard entrant and home favorite Fabio Fognini today, May 10. Murray won the title by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final in 2016 but hasn't played the Italian Open since 2017.
This will be the ninth meeting between the two players, with the head-to-head record standing at 4-4. They previously clashed in Rome in 2017 when the Italian beat Murray in straight sets in the second round.