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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 25: Andy Murray of Great Britain shakes hands with Roger Federer of Switzerland after Murray won their semifinal match during day twelve of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 25: Andy Murray of Great Britain shakes hands with Roger Federer of Switzerland after Murray won their semifinal match during day twelve of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)
The pressure of performing well at Grand Slams is enormous for any player, and even more so for those who are or have been at the top of the sport. However, Andy Murray has been preparing for this day for months now and is excited to hit the ground running on his Wimbledon Championships return.
Murray, who has been in and out of action due to a long-term hip injury he sustained in 2017, will play against Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in his first-round match at SW19 on Monday. This will be a test of time and pressure for the former World No.1, who did not have a great run at the Queen’s Club Championships the last time around.
Practicing with Roger Federer
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To make sure he is at his best when he steps on the grass court for his first-round match, Murray has been practicing with the best in the business, Roger Federer. He was seen knocking around at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
“Getting to play with Roger was really cool for me. They’re the sort of things that probably six, seven years ago I wouldn’t have given any thought to it. I would have seen that as just being a practice session pre-major with a top player, and focusing on myself,” said Murray.
A little catch-up mid practice #Wimbledon | @rogerfederer | @andy_murray pic.twitter.com/1UjPLsoMQd
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 25, 2021
Practicing very hard for the first game against the 24th seed Georgian, Andy is confident of his performance during practice and is fully preparing himself for his return.?”I want to go into Wimbledon feeling as fresh and as comfortable as possible when I get out there.”
Return of Andy Murray at SW19
The three-time Grand Slam champ will return to the center court after a period of three years. After he injured himself during the quarterfinals at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, he was forced to miss the 2018 and 2019 editions of the tournament.
Unfortunately, he could not return to the grass court Grand Slam last year either; the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The former World No.1 talked about the pressure situations he has faced and the situation ahead of the tournament.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Andy Murray of Great Britain poses with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy following his victory in the Gentlemen’s Singles Final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 7, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
“Six or seven years ago, I didn’t fear that pressure but it was something that I stressed quite a lot about. When I reflect on the last few years, it’s actually something I’ve really missed, playing in front of a big crowd on Centre Court,” he said in an interview.
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It will be a difficult road for Andy Murray, as he will be hopeful of finishing on a high note in the tournament. On Monday, all eyes will be on him, trying to find out if the Knight still has what it takes to make it at a Grand Slam.
