Andy Murray, seeking his first clay win this season, eyes Roland Garros despite setbacks, uncertain of future opportunities.
After suffering three consecutive ATP Masters 1000 opening round defeats, including a recent loss to Andrea Vavassori at the Madrid Open, Andy Murray finds himself at a crossroads. Despite these setbacks, the former world number one has expressed his desire to compete at Roland Garros, fueled by the uncertainty of how many chances he may have left to do so.
Since 2018, the former world no. 1 competed only once at the Roland Garros, with a first-round loss to Stan Wawrinka after receiving a wild card. Despite never winning the event, the clay-court Grand Slam is the second most-successful for the Scot in terms of winning percentage, having won 78% of matches he played there (compared to 77% at Australian Open and 76% at US Open).
"Yeah, look, I would like to play, you know, just purely because, yeah, I don't know if I'll get another opportunity to play again. Whilst I feel fit and healthy, I would like to give it a go."
Murray's determination to seize every opportunity comes from a place of both ambition and realism. While the British tennis star acknowledges that his aspirations to win titles at Wimbledon might seem far-fetched given his current form, he maintains a steadfast belief in his ability to bounce back.
"But, yeah, I also have ambitions of, you know, competing for Wimbledon titles and that sort of stuff, and I know that sitting here today that probably doesn't sound realistic, but I do believe that that's a possibility. I obviously want to do the right thing there."
Murray wants to strike the right balance between competing in the Roland Garros and preparing for Wimbledon, as past experiences have taught him that success in one major tournament does not necessarily impact the other.
"But, you know, the experiences I have had when I have won Wimbledon has been in 2013 when I didn't play the French Open and won and 2016 I had my best French Open and won Wimbledon. It didn't have an impact necessarily."
The uncertainty surrounding his future in the sport has led Murray to seriously consider his participation in Roland Garros. He understands the importance of taking advantage of opportunities while he is still physically capable, and competing in a Grand Slam event holds significant weight for any tennis professional.
"So, yeah, I don't know. It's impossible to say what the right thing to do is, but obviously it's a Grand Slam. I would like the opportunity to play."
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