Reporters Notebook: Sky Sports’ Dan Khan reflects on his weekend at Wimbledon with Andy Murray on his mind | Tennis News

It has been on my mind quite a lot, the one name on everyone’s lips over the weekend before Wimbledon: Andy Murray.

How is he? Will he be able to get on court one final time? How can he after having an operation on his spine just a week ago? How much will it mean to him to have one final goodbye at Wimbledon?

In a way it feels typical of Murray, the situation he finds himself in.

He had an operation on his spine just over a week ago and now, as he has in previous years with the various challenges posed in front of him, he has one more to overcome.

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Jacquie Beltrao brings the latest update on Andy Murray’s recovery and his efforts towards playing at Wimbledon

To do this, once again, Murray will be testing his physical and mental limits to do everything he can to get on court for that moment… that special moment where he can take in the applause of the crowds who have supported him in the lowest as well as highest moments of his career – which have largely taken place at Wimbledon.

I spoke to Sky Sports Tennis analyst Laura Robson and we both ended up just full of admiration of Murray’s competitiveness and how the fact he is even in contention to be on court 10 days after he had surgery is a testament to the player.

I watched him practice on Saturday afternoon – our real first glimpse of how he was faring, and he seemed a frustrated figure. It was clearly a session to test out how his body would react to a few rallies, a few sprints and I left that session thinking it seems unlikely he will be able to play competitive tennis against Tomas Machac in his first round match on Tuesday.

This all made much more sense when we spoke to Murray on Sunday, as he explained how although he is feeling fine with his back, it is actually the impact the operation has had on his legs which has limited him.

He is yet to regain full feeling in his legs since the operation, although it has improved every day. Murray questioned himself whether it will improve enough for him to compete against Machac.

Andy Murray and Jamie Murray played doubles together in the Davis Cup final in 2015, when Great Britain won the tournament
Image:
Andy and Jamie Murray could play doubles together at Wimbledon

The good news is that Murray will have until Thursday to decide whether he can play men’s doubles with his brother Jamie, which would be a special occasion for him and their family – but would that be enough or the right way for Murray to bow out of Wimbledon forever?

I think the question remains in my mind because I spoke to many players over the weekend about Murray and his potential final goodbye at Wimbledon. It really is eye-opening to see them all, not just pay tribute to him, but also the hope they all have that Murray has the moment he deserves to say goodbye.

I asked seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic about his good friend Murray, who he told me was a ‘legend of the game’ but he also explained just how much it would mean for him to make it on court.

Djokovic said: “He definitely deserves a great farewell from his favourite tournament, the tournament he won twice, the place he won the Olympic games – he should finish on his own terms, we all hope he will be physically fit enough to finish on his own terms and wish him all the best.”

Caroline Wozniacki had a similar tribute for Murray, describing how few players in the history of tennis have accomplished what he has with the hope he can finish on his own accord.

Gael Monfils told me ‘he’s the man, he’s Sir Andy Murray!’ and that all the players will be supporting Murray here at Wimbledon to say goodbye.

It may be easy for many of the players to talk nicely about their fellow player but for me, it is the smiles and warmth with which they talk about Murray. I asked many of the players about their own form, Wimbledon, etc – but often their longest answers were in tribute to Murray.

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Emma Raducanu relates to Murray’s injury struggles and hopes that he will be fit to play at Wimbledon

So what is the perfect goodbye?

I was initially wondering – does it need to be in front of a full Centre Court? Does it need to be in a singles tie or will the doubles with his brother be enough?

I left Wimbledon on Sunday evening feeling, well – maybe it does not matter after all.

The legacy you leave upon the thousands upon thousands of fans Murray has entertained and brought along his career at Wimbledon as well as the admiration from his peers… perhaps that is enough for someone that has cemented himself as a tennis legend.

Whether Murray is able to get on court in the singles, doubles or not at all – it feels, as I mentioned before, typical Andy Murray that he’ll be fighting every day, minute and second to see if he will be able to do so.

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