Paris, France) – Still in the process of recovering from his ankle injury, British rider Andy Murray is already drawing up some plans for what should be his last season on the circuit. While his situation continues to evolve, the former world number 1 aims to be on the court in less than a month, more precisely at Roland Garros, which starts on May 26th.
According to the British portal iNews, Murray wants to play not only the singles tournament on French clay but also the doubles tournament alongside compatriot Daniel Evans. The two-time Olympic champion’s idea is to acquire rhythm in the race for the Paris Games, at the end of July.
After rejecting the need for surgery on two ankle ligaments that he tore during the match against Czech Tomas Machac in the third round of the Masters 1000 in Miami on March 24, the 36-year-old has been training on clay in recent weeks , raising hopes that he could return to the circuit for the second Grand Slam of the season.
Olympic partner should be Salisbury
As for the Olympics, Murray previously said in an interview with The Times that he would only play in the event if he felt there was a real chance of winning a medal, admitting that this possibility only exists in doubles. To do this, your partner must be the current number 6 in the world in the specialty, Joe Salisbury, with whom he reached the quarter-finals in Tokyo, only falling in the match-tiebreak to the Croatians Mate Pavic and Nikola Mekitc, who would go on to win the medal of gold.
Given the good campaign in Japan, the captain of the British team, Leon Smith, understands that Murray and Salisbury must play together once again. The ideal scenario would be for them to come together at the French Open, since the Olympic tournament will be played at the Roland Garros complex itself, however, the top 10 chose to continue the duet with their regular partner, the North American Rajeev Ram , looking for another Slam title.
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The iNews publication also highlights that despite Murray’s commitment to Olympic preparations, he does not expect to play more than a few matches in the doubles draw at Roland Garros, especially if he is still worried about his ankle and the grass season. approaching. Therefore, the partnership with Evans, who will also prioritize individual matches, appears as a convenient opportunity for both.
Evans, in fact, is expected to form a second British partnership at the Paris Games with Neal Skupski, currently ranked tenth in the doubles rankings. The pair achieved a dramatic victory over Australia in last year’s Davis Cup, saving four match points before securing the team’s place in the final stages of the competition. Together, they have also made two Masters 1000 finals three years ago, in Miami and Monte Carlo.
