After reaching his first ATP final since 2019 in the Sydney Tennis Classic, the tournament prior to the Australia Open, there were strong expectations for three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray in Melbourne.
Unfortunately for the former world number one, he was knocked out in the second round of the opening Grand Slam of the year, as he was beaten by Japan’s Taro Daniel. It was the first time in Murray’s career that he lost to a player outside the top 100 of the world rankings in one of tennis’s four big tournaments.
Murray will now travel home and plot his schedule for the rest of the season. He is likely to travel to the USA for the hard-court season. There are some big ATP 1000 Masters events in that stage of the calendar.
The former Australia Open finalist Murray will be hoping he can return to a Grand Slam final again in 2022. He will take encouragement from the performances of Rafael Nadal in Melbourne this year. The Spaniard has Australian Open odds of +310. Victory for the man from Mallorca will see him claim his 21st Grand Slam success and put him one clear of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in all-time standings.
Wimbledon May Represent Murray’s Best Chance
Murray has appeared at Wimbledon, his home tournament, just once in the last four years. He will be very keen to return to the grass at SW19 in June. The event in London could now be his best chance of winning a Grand Slam again.
A maiden Wimbledon title arrived for Murray in 2013 when he beat Djokovic in straight sets. That came a year after his gold medal success in the Olympics on the same court.
Murray returned to the final of Wimbledon in 2016 and he regained his crown. On that occasion, it was big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic he defeated in four sets, before lifting the trophy.
A trip to New York for the US Open is also an event Murray will be looking forward to in 2022. The 34-year-old has happy memories at Flushing Meadows, as it was the place he won his first Grand Slam title in 2012.
Overcoming Serious Injuries Is a Success Alone
Although Murray is one of the fiercest competitors on the ATP Tour, being able to be part of the Grand Slam fields again is a huge success. It was not long ago that the Brit thought he would have to retire from the sport due to a hip injury.
Murray had a second hip operation in early 2019 and following strong rehabilitation, he was able to get back to the court. Fortunately for him, it was successful, as he did not feel anywhere near as much pain as he was suffering before.
Due to a hiatus, Murray had obviously dropped down the rankings in the sport. But thanks to past performances, he was able to pick up some wild cards. With more time on the court, his results started to improve.
Although this is a Murray who remains a shadow of the player who once held his own alongside three of the greats in the game (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic), he is competing well again. Another title cannot be ruled out for the man who refuses to give in.
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