Last year, the former world number one Andy Murray won the Surbiton Trophy by defeating Austria’s Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Now, the Scot plans to mount a defense of his title as he prepares to compete at Wimbledon at the start of July. And it could prove to be the perfect way to get preparation underway.
Murray, 37, a two-time Wimbledon winner (2013, 2016), heads into the Grand Slam event starting on July 1 as very much a faded force, primarily due to persistent injury complaints. Every top sports betting site is of the same thinking that Murray is close to the end of his career, and it would take something quite remarkable for him to win Wimbledon for a third time at this stage. But Murray himself is doing everything possible to prepare for what could be the final time he plays at SW19.
The first step the Scot will take is to begin the grass season by attempting to defend the Surbiton Trophy that he won last year, with action underway on June 1, a month ahead of Wimbledon. Interestingly, the Surbiton Trophy runs during the French Open’s second week, and a Grand Slam Murray will also play, the first time he’s done so since 2020. So the fact he has committed to defending his Surbiton Trophy means that he isn’t expecting his stay in the French Open to be a long one.
When is it time to quit?
The expectation for most is that Murray will announce in the coming months that he’s calling time on his career at the end of this season, which is why a final appearance, and hopefully one where the former two-time SW19 champion gives a good account of himself, means so much to the Scot. All his preparations are, in reality, focused on Wimbledon and Wimbledon alone.
Murray also had the option to defend his Challenger title in Nottingham this summer before Wimbledon. Still, instead, he will play in the ATP Tour event in Stuttgart and then bypass Nottingham to head to Queen’s Club, which will be the final stage before in his preparation before Wimbledon begins. He will rue the ankle injury that he suffered in March at the Miami Open, as it knocked his season slightly off course, but he is now back to competing, first in Bordeaux and now in Geneva. Read this post, if you are curious about Murray’s new racquet.
Murray will undoubtedly now not only be hoping his preparations go as expected and that there are no further issues that arise along the way, such as another injury complaint, as any fitness problem at this point could put his appearance, likely his final Wimbledon appearance, in real jeopardy. He’s mapped out what the next several months look like. If all goes to plan, he will give a great account of himself in the tournaments he plays in and successfully defends the Surbiton Trophy, before bowing out at Wimbledon in the best way possible to mark what would be the end of a glittering career.
