"I prepared really hard before coming here" says Andy Murray on Madrid Open appearance

Tuesday, 03 May 2022 at 01:45

Updated at Saturday, 22 June 2024 at 20:12

Murray Andy MadridOpen2022 FlorinBaltatoiu

byZachary Wimer

Andy Murray stated earlier this season that he would not be competing on clay this year, but he changed his mind and decided to compete at the 2022 Madrid Open.

In the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in the Spanish capital, Murray defeated Dominic Thiem. He didn't plan to play on clay this year, but his first match in Madrid went really well, giving him some confidence in his game.

The exception was clearly worth it as he delivered a great performance in the first round. Speaking after the match, the three-time Grand Slam champion explained that he made sure to properly prepare for his return to the red dirt, not to disappoint himself and his fans.

"I enjoyed it. I prepared really hard before coming here. I worked hard and really wanted to go out and put a good performance out there. I feel like I did that. When I played a couple of years ago on the clay, I was struggling a little bit with my groin. My body felt really good in the last few weeks and tonight I felt like I moved well and I played a really good match."

When speaking to the media, the British player was also asked about his first-round opponent, Thiem. The Austrian is also coming back from an injury, and he suffered his fourth loss in a row in 2022 in an attempt to return to his best.

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The former world no. 1 knows how it feels to try to build his way back, and that's why he could relate with the 2020 US Open champion, who has a difficult journey ahead.

"It's extremely difficult. He obviously had the injury initially and has also had some setbacks along the way. Mentally, it will take time to feel confident, totally accelerating on the ball. I had a wrist injury when I was 20 years old and it was very difficult. It took me time before I started to feel comfortable on the forehand side again."

"He uses his wrist a lot when he plays. He plays with heavy topspin. It's obviously going to take him time, but he can still hit the ball great. He's serving well, moving well. It's just going to take time."