Sunday, December 22, 2024

Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu to play mixed doubles at Wimbledon

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British duo Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu will play mixed doubles together at Wimbledon.

The Scot’s representatives confirmed the pair have been granted a wild card, with Murray looking to maximise his opportunities on his final appearance at the All England Club.

Murray famously played mixed doubles with Serena Williams in 2019, with the pair making it to the third round.

The 37-year-old Murray has said this will be his final appearance at the tournament where he won singles titles at in 2013 and 2016.

Murray has been recovering after undergoing back surgery to remove a spinal cyst 11 days ago and was forced to withdraw from his first-round singles match against Tomas Machac on Tuesday.

But the three-time Grand Slam champion has announced he is fit enough to add the mixed event with 2021 US Open champion Raducanu as well as playing the men’s doubles event with older brother Jamie.

It will be a Grand Slam debut in doubles for Raducanu, whose only tour-level doubles match came in Washington two years ago.

She did float the idea of teaming up with Murray two years ago, though, telling BBC Breakfast: “We haven’t actually spoken about it but it’s something we feel we both want to do.”

They have appeared across the net from each other back in the summer of 2020, when a Battle of the Brits event was staged at the National Tennis Centre during the Covid-related hiatus.

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Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend believes Andy Murray had to pull out of the singles as he genuinely has a chance of winning the doubles title with his brother Jamie

Murray made a reluctant decision to pull out of singles at Wimbledon on Tuesday morning having run out of time in his bid to recover from back surgery.

He is set to play his first men’s doubles match alongside brother Jamie on Thursday, with the opening round of the mixed doubles held on Friday and Saturday.

Asked following her first-round win on Monday about Murray’s influence on her, Raducanu said: “I think the biggest advice is just how he’s always taken care of his operations, how he manages his people.

“I haven’t really spoken to him so much. I think for me it’s just watching him operate day to day, watching him be absolutely on it with everything. Even in practice now, he’s so on it to the minute.

“I think me, when I was a bit younger maybe, showing up 15 minutes before practice to do a few arm curls, swing my hand around and warm up. He’s there for an hour and a half doing treatment. He just sets really good examples.”

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Speaking at Indian Wells, Martina Navratilova said Murray will retire on his own terms and believes we’ll see Raducanu’s talent again when she gets healthy

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