Murray To Make Return to Tennis at Queen’s

Just 5 months after the tennis world thought it had seen the last of Andy Murray, the former World Number 1 is back in the picture once again. Murray will team up with multiple Grand Slam doubles champion Feliciano Lopez at Queen’s club this week in a bid to make a return to professional tennis on the doubles court.

Although Murray’s career almost certainly looked to be over in January, everything that has happened since then has been positive. After making the decision to have the same hip surgery as Bob Bryan, who himself has made a full return to professional doubles after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, Murray has made steady progress in his recovery, going from hitting balls against a wall in a stationary position to full grass court training with the likes of Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe in just a matter of months. The surgery has also made a difference to Murray’s general lifestyle. He now describes day to day activities as ‘pain-free’ and is able to do things such as playing a round of golf without having to worry about the pain that his hip was causing him.

Murray and Lopez will have a tough task, having been drawn against the top seeds Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal, especially considering that Murray has played no competitive tennis since the Australian Open in January. However, Murray has the home advantage, both in terms of crowd support and the court surface. 2 of Murray’s 3 Grand Slam victories came on the grass at Wimbledon, showing that the Briton is comfortable on the grass. Cabal and Farah generally play their best tennis on clay. It will be a tough ask for Murray and Lopez to win, but regardless of the outcome, it will be good to see Murray back in action.

It is unknown as of yet whether Murray will play doubles at Wimbledon. He has ruled out playing with his brother Jamie, as he does not want to hinder Jamie’s chances of clinching another Grand Slam title. Past Wimbledon, Murray has made it clear that he wishes to make a return to singles, but he does not know if this will be possible, and if it is, how long such a comeback would take to happen.

Written by Emre Saridogan