Andy Murray can be “a force to be reckoned with at Wimbledon”, according to former Olympic champion Monica Puig.
Former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Murray limped through the championships six years ago after a hip problem nearly saw him retire.
Since undergoing major hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, Murray has struggled with injuries and issues, but this year’s Australian Open has seen a strong resurgence from the Scot as he was going through a gigantic week in Melbourne.
The 35-year-old produced his biggest comeback win, coming back from straight sets and 5-3 to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis just two days after beating Matteo Berrettini in a five-set epic.
The win over Kokkinakis was Murray’s longest professional game, lasting five hours and 45 minutes and not ending until 4:05 a.m. local time.
His fairy tale Grand Slam run ultimately came to an end at the hands of Roberto Bautista Agut, but his performances gave him real optimism, which Puig says has “fueled that fire” for the rest of 2023.
“I think Andy has something to prove every time he goes on the pitch because the number of times people have counted him out, said he’s never going to play again, said that physically, he was no longer going to endure the rigors of professional tennis. . Having something to prove works for some people and some people it doesn’t, but it definitely works for him,” explained Puig, the 2016 Olympic women’s singles champion.
“I think he crossed paths with one of the doctors who said he could never play at this level again and he was like ‘aha! “So it’s like he wants to prove he still has it, he still has it and he proves it day in and day out and it shows that hard work pays off.
“It doesn’t matter what level you are – how you feel physically. You work and you will see the rewards afterwards and I think he does that very well.
“We don’t know how many more years he will play, but he makes every moment he steps onto the pitch count.
“He definitely has a very strong character and I think he is mentally very, very tough. He won two Olympic gold medals in a row, he won the US Open and he won Wimbledon twice.
“Being a Brit and winning Wimbledon is huge. It’s very difficult for a lot of players to succeed and play well in their own country and he did that and it kind of fueled that fire.
A lot of people didn’t even think he would make it to the top 50 after a while and he just broke little barriers. I have to take my hat off to him because he’s the admiral.
Murray was ‘underrated’ when he was part of ‘The Big Four’
Puig, who was forced to retire from the sport last year aged 28 due to a series of injuries, has great admiration for Murray and believes the former world No. -estimated when he was part of the so-called ‘Big Four’ which included Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
She said: “While he was on ‘The Big Four,’ they underestimated him a bit because he was the one who was very consistent.
“He wasn’t anything super flashy like Federer or Nadal, but he was still there and he was still in that top four. He was still pushing. He was one of those people who, when you go into the field, you expect a battle.
“You know he’s not going to give you free points. He will make you work for everything. Mentally he will show you that he is still there and that is one of his best qualities.
Murray wants more success, which drives him, says Puig
Although Murray came close to retiring from the game after the 2019 Australian Open, Puerto Rican legend Puig believes wanting more success is the biggest driving factor behind him.
“Murray has a Hall of Fame career, but he always wants to do more. He is not satisfied with what he has done. He always feels like he has more in him and that’s why he’s always there, he puts in the hours, and that’s why we always have to focus on him,” Puig said.
“A lot of people didn’t even think he would make it to the top 50 after a while, but he just broke little barriers and I have to take my hat off to him because he’s the Admiral.”
Can Murray be a force at Wimbledon this summer?
Murray is currently ranked just outside the top 60 in the world after exceeding expectations at the Australian Open, but it is at the All England Club that the Scot will feel he can show exactly how far he has come.
The former UK No. 1 is hoping for a strong next few months where a top-32 finish would give him a Wimbledon seed.
“Murray has already won Wimbledon. He has that on his side,” Puig said. “Brits tend to do very well on their home turf.
“A lot of people don’t like weed. I’ve heard it thousands of times before – ‘I don’t like playing on this surface’ because it’s very hard and there aren’t a lot of warm-ups beforehand. In order for you to really get into your rhythm, you have to adapt and you need time on a surface, but the grass just doesn’t give you that.
“It’s one of the advantages he has and it’s also an advantage that the points aren’t as long as they are on hard court or clay so he can make those points shorter matter. He looks comfortable stepping into the net and he knows what to do.
“Yes, he can be a force to be reckoned with.”
Puig’s admiration for Murray
Puig and Murray crossed paths at the Rio Olympics after both won singles gold medals.
The former world number 27, who won a WTA title in Strasbourg, has huge respect for the Scotsman for all he has had to endure in recent years.
“I’ve seen him play many times. I always wanted to be as consistent as him because he always looks like he never misses a ball,” Puig said.
“For someone to win two Olympic gold medals in a row, that’s huge in itself.
“I just have a lot of respect for him as a player, for everything he’s been through with his injuries. I unfortunately had to end my career due to an injury but he is still there, still trying his luck.
“I have a lot of respect for these types of players who have quietly gone about their business and every time they come onto the pitch they come to play and that’s admirable.”
Puig will run the Boston Marathon on April 17, followed by the London Marathon six days later on April 23.
