"I want to win Grand Slams again, and I'd love to be ranked number one in the world again" - Andy Murray ahead of Wimbledon 2022
Andy Murray has expressed his wish to return to Grand Slam-winning ways and the top echelons of the men's game ahead of his Wimbledon 2022 opener on Monday.
Murray, 35, will open his campaign for a third SW19 title against Australia's James Duckworth. The three-time Major winner hasn't made the second week of a Slam since Wimbledon 2017, going 5-7. He has struggled to make a mark since a potentially career-ending hip replacement in 2019.
Three years later, though, Murray is seemingly injury-free again. The World No. 52 has made a decent start to his 2022 campaign, going 16-9 and making the Sydney and Stuttgart finals. Ahead of his 16th appearance at SW19, where he reached the third round on debut in 2005, Murray said that he's not there to simply make up the numbers.
"Yes, I want to win Grand Slams again, and I’d love to be ranked number one in the world again – but that is not the only reason why I play and not why I started playing tennis. It’s not the reason any child starts playing a sport,” said Murray after a gruelling practice session.
The hard work continues 💪
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The Scot is happy to be pain-free after a long time.
“I’ve been able to practise and train and play. Fingers crossed, I’m in a good place for the next few weeks," Murray said.
“I have interests and things outside of tennis" - Andy Murray
Andy Murray is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the history of the sport. He has reached the finals at all four Grand Slams, winning two of them, and is a former World No. 1.
However, his hip injury three years ago almost forced him to call it quits. Murray admitted that his family's support has ensured he's still playing the sport he loves.
“Without the support of my wife and my family, I wouldn’t be able to still play. My wife is still encouraging me to keep training and try to achieve whatever it is that I want to achieve. My mum’s a really special person. She works far too hard and always has done. Since we were kids she never slept much. She’d wake up in the middle of the night doing emails and things,” he said.
Kicking off the Centre Court celebrations 🎉
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At 35, though, Andy Murray is approaching the fag end of his career, and he knows he cannot go on playing for ever, especially after what he has been through with his hip. The father-of-four provided a glimpse into his future plans.
“I have interests and things outside of tennis, and I know that when I finally finish, everything will be fine. The world won’t end. I’ve always been interested in coaching. There’s also a chance I might not be involved in tennis anymore. I feel right now that I would always have some involvement in tennis," he said.
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