Andy Murray won't be playing at the ATP Challenger tournament in Surbiton this year after going all the way and winning the trophy last year.
Contrary to last year, the British player won't be starting his grass season early. Murray also played at Roland Garros this year, which he didn't do in the past few seasons. Actually, the last time he played before this year was back in 2020 when he was beaten by Stan Wawrinka.
As we know, history repeats itself, and he was beaten this year by none other than Stan Wawrinka, which ended his Roland Garros story. He's had some good moments in the French capital over the years, though he never lifted the trophy.
Some guys named Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are to blame for that, but overall, he was quite happy with the legacy he left at Roland Garros. Due to playing at the French Open, Murray didn't have time to prepare for grass tennis.
After spending weeks on clay, he doesn't want to rush his comeback. He will give himself some time before stepping on the grass, which means missing the Surbiton Challenger, which begins on Monday.
"Unfortunately I won’t be back to defend my title this year. It's been a tough decision but one my team and I felt we needed to make. I have been struggling a little bit with my back the last couple of weeks, so I probably needed a few lighter days anyway."
It's going to be a few emotional weeks for Murray as the season gets closer to Wimbledon. As he's retiring this year, the Brit will bid farewell to some iconic tennis courts he played on, including the Queen's Club.
Wimbledon follows shortly after that and it may turn into a really emotional farewell for the former world no. 1. This upcoming month will probably feature some of the best tennis that Murray has played lately, mostly because of the surface but also because it may be the last time that he'll ever stand on a tennis court.