Tennis: Wimbledon offers best chance of deep run at a Grand Slam, says Murray

LONDON – Andy Murray said he is confident he will be in good physical condition at July’s Wimbledon and that the tournament offers him the best chance of going on a good run at a Grand Slam.

The 35-year-old

considered retiring in 2019 after undergoing hip surgery,

but got his career

back on track after another operation.

The three-time Major champion reached his fourth final since returning to the ATP Tour at last week’s Qatar Open. He lost to Daniil Medvedev, before withdrawing from the Dubai event due to a recurring hip issue.

Murray said he has made changes to his training methods to avoid overloading his body.

“I really like the way that I’ve trained in practice these last four months and I’ve not been doing that with Wimbledon in mind. I’m trying to just focus on each day and trying to get the most out of it,” he told The Times newspaper on Monday.

“If I do that and accumulate enough of those days, then I believe that come Wimbledon, my game will be in a really, really good place.”

The Scot also said that with most players feeling more comfortable playing on hard courts, he has a better chance of going into the second week of the grass-court Slam, where he is a two-time champion.

“I’m not saying I would expect to win the French Open (on clay) if I played. But, with Wimbledon, there is certainly a better opportunity to have a deep run,” he added.

Murray is also confident his body would be able to cope with the physical demands of playing seven five-set matches if required.

“I have some niggles and my body doesn’t feel amazing, but it’s coped really well with the first few tournaments of the year that have been really demanding,” he added.

While Murray is not too concerned about his fitness, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is unlikely to play in Acapulco this week after picking up an injury in the Rio Open final, one of his coaches said.

The 19-year-old, who spent more than three months out of action due to abdominal and hamstring injuries, returned to the ATP Tour to win the Buenos Aires title by beating Cameron Norrie before losing to the Briton in the Rio final on Sunday.

He needed treatment for a left leg problem during his semi-final in Rio and picked up an injury to the other leg against Norrie, leaving him doubtful for his first hard court event of 2023.

Coach Antonio Martinez Cascales, who has accompanied Alcaraz on the South American swing, hoped that the problem was not too serious.

“I hope it’s a simple contracture,” Cascales was quoted as saying by Madrid daily La Razon.

“But it’s difficult for him to play in Acapulco because of the surface change and without having any previous training.” REUTERS