As Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka approach the twilight of their illustrious careers, they prepare for a first-round encounter at the French Open under vastly different circumstances. Murray, who has just turned 37, is grappling with a challenging year marked by injury and poor form. Conversely, the 39-year-old Wawrinka, despite a modest record of three wins and nine defeats on the ATP Tour this year, seems more content with his current situation.
Two months ago, Murray’s participation in Paris seemed unlikely after he sustained a serious ankle injury during his third-round match at the Miami Open. Given his history of injuries, it would have been understandable for the Scot to struggle with motivation during yet another lengthy rehabilitation period.
“I was surprised how I was during the rehab – I felt really motivated,” Murray said. “I worked extremely hard every single day with my team and physio, there were no breaks or holidays to feel sorry for myself. I just did the work. I was surprised with that because I could quite easily have felt sorry for myself, taken a break, and not done the rehab as well I did. I’m proud of that. It would have been easy to have looked at it a different way and I worked really hard to get back, and that’s one of the reasons why I was able to come back a bit sooner than I anticipated.”
Reflecting on his career, Murray recounted the impact of his 2017 French Open semi-final loss to Wawrinka, a match that significantly affected his health and career trajectory. “I couldn’t sleep that night,” Murray said. “My hip was in so much pain. I remember getting up in the night, I was lying on the sofa in loads of pain. I never recovered. I couldn’t extend my leg behind me properly after that match. It was a shame.”
That defeat marked the beginning of the end for Murray’s status as a top player competing for Grand Slam titles. On Sunday, he will return to the same venue for what could be his final appearance in Paris, reigniting his 19-year rivalry with the Swiss player.
The upcoming match will be a poignant chapter in both players’ careers. Murray, having faced significant challenges, expressed pride in his relentless effort to return to the court. “I worked extremely hard to get back, and that’s one of the reasons why I was able to come back a bit sooner than I anticipated,” he said.
As they prepare to face each other once more, the match promises to be a testament to their resilience and enduring love for the game.
Andy Murray in 2024
LLLLWLWWLW Ranked world no.75, the Brit played his last match on the 21st of May when he lost to world no.85 Yannick Hanfmann 7-5 6-2 in the 1st round in Geneva (draw).
Currently, during this year Andy has managed to achieve a composed 6-10 match record.
Andy Murray will take on the world no.97 Stan Wawrinka in the 1st round on Sunday at 8:15 pm on Court PHILIPPE-CHATRIER. The head to head is 13-10 for Murray.
The Brit won 46 titles in his career: 20 on hard courts, 3 on clay courts, 14 on indoor courts, 1 on carpet courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Murray has scheduled to compete next in Surbiton Challenger (Surbiton Challenger). He will start from the main draw that will commence on the 1st of January.
Andy Murray |
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