By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon
- Andy Murray is going to make his decision on Wimbledon participation on Monday evening after suffering a back injury at Queen’s Club
- The two-time champion is aiming for ‘closure’ at Wimbledon ahead of his potential retirement
- Marketa Vondrousova remains relaxed ahead of her Wimbledon title defence
LONDON, ENGLAND – Andy Murray has revealed that he will make a decision on his participation at Wimbledon on Monday evening as he spoke in detail about the back injury he suffered at Queen’s Club.
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Murray to make last-minute decision on Wimbledon participation
There is only one place to start the Media day diary and that’s with two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.
The former world number one is entering his final Wimbledon with a back injury which he suffered at Queen’s Club.
A surgery on a spinal cyst saw Murray with limited time to prepare for what could be his last Wimbledon and Grand Slam tournament of his career.
Since then, Murray has intensified his rehabilitation programme and training but admitted in his press conference that a final decision on his Wimbledon participation will come on Monday evening.
“I mean, it’s been obviously a tough 10 days or so since Queen’s. Obviously had, yeah, the operation on the back, which it wasn’t insignificant. Yeah, just been trying to do everything that I can to try and get ready to start the tournament here,” Murray began his pre-tournament press conference by saying.
“I don’t know if that’s going to be enough. I’ve been practicing for the last few days. I played a set today. It went pretty well, but I still don’t have 100% sort of feeling and sensation in my leg yet. It’s getting better every single day. Like I said a few days ago, I want to give it every single chance that I can to get there. I’m going to play another set again tomorrow.
“I’m doing some physical testing in the morning to see sort of how far off I am from a physical perspective. Then I will probably make a decision tomorrow evening after that.”
It’s not the way Murray envisioned his last Wimbledon to be like but this is the result of elite professional sport especially the way Murray has competed throughout his career.
Continuing with the negative news, Murray admitted it would be a considerable risk to play Wimbledon as he detailed the surgery that he had. There is significant usage of scientific language in this next section.
“Well, I might get the exact terminology wrong, but I had a decompression of spinal stenosis in my back, which is not just an issue with the cyst as such, but the cyst is what was causing the issues with my leg, pressing on the nerve,” Murray explained.
“The cyst got removed. I still have stitches in my back now. Yeah, the actual area where I had the operation is not sore. It’s the leg and the function of my leg that will determine whether or not I’m able to play.
“Well, it depends what you consider a considerable risk, really. I mean, from discussions that I’ve had with my surgeon and the medical experts that are around me, the biggest risk is sort of from the wound perspective, sort of a reopening of the wound. My spine is strong and stable. The inflammation is coming down every single day.
“There’s been minimal disruption to the muscles and everything. Yeah, the issue would be if the wound, which is extremely small, it was a keyhole operation, if that was to reopen, I would then have to go and have that sorted. But I’m okay with that, with that risk. If I was worried about doing more damage to my spine or something like that, yeah, that would be very different. But I’m okay with a few stitches coming loose or whatever.”
There is good news though. The good news is that his injury is getting better each day with training which is why Murray is waiting longer before making a definitive decision.
Not only does Murray need to decide whether to play singles but whether he will also be fit enough to play doubles alongside his brother Jamie Murray.
Speaking ahead of the decision Murray admitted he would need to talk to multiple people before announcing a final decision.
“Well, each day it becomes more and more likely that I’ll be able to play properly. Obviously with doubles, although you’re covering less distance and less court, you still need to be able to move pretty explosively,” Murray explained.
“Yeah, if I keep progressing like I have been for the next three, four days, before the doubles starts, then… I played a set today against a good player. Was playing well. Hitting the ball well. Did absolutely fine. I’m hoping that, yeah, with each day that passes that the likelihood of me being able to play will increase.
“I mean, it’s impossible for me to say because I also want to go out there, like I said, and be able to play to a level that I’m happy with. I don’t want to be in a situation like at Queen’s. I don’t want to go on the court and, yeah, it to be awkward or not be able to at least be competitive. Yeah, I mean, I spoke to my brother about that. I’ve obviously spoken to my team about that. We’re all aware of the situation.
“Well, I have no back pain, which is obviously really good. But the nature of the problem that I had was, yeah, I had quite a large cyst, which was squashing, compressing my nerves, which then obviously lost not all but a lot of control in my right leg. That is getting better. But it’s kind of like if you sleep on your arm funny, you wake up and you’ve got a dead arm.
“It’s kind of like that feeling. But it goes on for a lot longer because the nerve has been kind of squashed and a little bit damaged for a number of days. How long that takes to regain its full sort of function again is impossible to say. For some people it takes months; for some people it’s weeks.
“So, yeah, I don’t know exactly how long it’s going to take. But all of the work that we’re doing, the testing we’re doing, is improving every single day with the training and the practicing. It’s not like I’m playing tennis and it’s taking a step backwards. It’s been getting better every day. I’m hopeful that that continues and it’s going to be enough to be on the court on Tuesday.”
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Murray seeks Wimbledon closure as retirement edges nearer
The reason why Murray is going through all of this pain and fuss is in the hope he has a chance to play on Centre Court one last time.
Murray is planning to retire as early as this summer and the multiple-time Grand Slam champion has admitted he is chasing Wimbledon closure as he is still uncertain about when the end of his career will arrive.
“Well, the opportunity to play here again,” Murray responded when asked about what he hopes to get out of this week.
“I mean, for the last time, yeah, that’s kind of it. Like, this is a place that’s obviously been really good to me over the years. Yeah, I guess the last few years you’ve had, I don’t know, like Serena finished playing, Roger finished playing, and Rafa obviously has spoken a lot recently about the struggles he’s gone through. Yeah, everyone has their idea of how they want to finish their career, how they would want it to go.
“My idea of that would be, I probably would have seen that happening probably at Wimbledon. Obviously I have the Olympics coming up. But, yeah, I would love the opportunity to play here one more time. Yeah, that’s what I’m looking to get out of it. Whether afterwards I feel like that’s the right thing to do, it was the right thing to do or not, I don’t know. But right now I feel like I want that opportunity.
“I mean, I don’t think there’s one thing that, I don’t know, I’m hoping for. Yeah, like I said, when it comes to the end, I don’t know, maybe a bit of closure. Yeah, I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there hopefully on Centre Court, and I don’t know, feel that buzz.
“Like last year, I wasn’t planning on it being my last year on the tour. I wanted to come back and play again, whereas this year I have no plans to do that. Yeah, it’s coming to the end of my career and I want to have that opportunity to play here again.”
Should Murray be given that opportunity to close out an incredible Wimbledon career, then his last Wimbledon could potentially be against Tomas Machac.
Murray played Machac in March which the Brit lost in a tough three set battle in a match where Murray suffered an injury that kept him off the tour for two months.
Vondrousova feeling relaxed ahead of Wimbledon title defence
The last person to speak to the media was the reigning women’s champion Marketa Vondrousova who is preparing for her first Grand Slam title defence.
Last year Vondrousova captured her first Grand Slam title with victory over Ons Jabeur and just like last year heads into this year’s tournament with very little form.
Speaking in her press conference Vondrousova admitted she is happy to back and spoke about the injury she suffered recently.
“It’s amazing. I had crazy last year. It was amazing two weeks. So I’m very happy to be back. Yeah, I cannot wait to be back on Centre Court,” Vondrousova proclaimed.
“Yeah, I had couple of great practices here. We came on Wednesday. It’s fine now. But, yeah, it was really scary. I didn’t play for a couple days. Yeah, I’m feeling good. I hope it’s going to be okay.”
One of the reasons Vondrousova was so successful last year was the lack of stress that was on her but that is not the same this year.
That’s because Vondrousova is ranked six in the world and has expectations on her shoulders as defending champion.
The Czech Republican compared last year to this year and the challenges of having pressure on her shoulders.
“I think was really playing without any stress the first couple rounds. I was, like, when we came here, Okay, I’m going to try to win maybe couple matches. I think I won the third round. Okay, maybe I can do something here because I felt really good,” Vondrousova explained.
“I think I just changed my mindset maybe a bit, just switched to maybe like grass court tennis a bit. Yeah, I also think I just learn how to maybe like move on grass better. So I think that was the main key.
“I played good tennis at the US Open. I played quarters. This year in Paris, too. I feel like you just have to prepare for the stress and for the pressure. Now people are watching you more, expect you to play semis or finals in every tournament. I don’t think that’s possible.
“Yeah, you just have to, I don’t know, maybe like take it match by match. I tried to do that in Paris. Yeah, I don’t think you can feel stress-free at all when you are 6 in the world. That’s kind of tough. There is a lot of pressure, too, also here. I’m going to try to take it also match by match and try to enjoy the game.”
Concluding her press conference, Vondrousova admitted she doesn’t think she has changed as a person since winning the title but spoke about how people around her have looked at her differently.
“Honestly, I think I didn’t changed a lot. I don’t know, it just happened and I was like, Okay, now you’re a Wimbledon champion,” Vondrousova stated.
“I think it’s more for the people around me. They look at you differently, I feel like, also at the tournaments and everything. For me I have the trophy at home, so every day I’m like, Oh, yeah, that happened.
“Honestly, like, you don’t think about it every day. I’m, like, I don’t know, sometimes in a day I’m like, Oh, yeah, I won Wimbledon last year. I don’t think it should change you as a person. But I feel like it’s more for the people and for the people around you.
“I think you just change for the people around you, not for you, if you understand. I don’t think about myself as a Wimbledon champion. I’m just thinking about me as Marketa, not like Wimbledon champion. I think that’s more for the people around.”
Vondrousova will begin her Wimbledon title defence against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro first on Centre Court on Tuesday.
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