Andy Murray took on Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon practice. Photo: Getty Images/Clive Brunskill
Back in January 2019, training against Novak Djokovic in Melbourne was one of the lowest points of Andy Murray's career.
In front of thousands of fans, Murray lost 10 of 12 games and was in severe pain due to a sore hip. Djokovic's hour on the court felt more like a charity donation than a meeting between two Grand Slam champions.
But fast forward four years — and a metal thigh later — the pair are back on Court 14 Wimbledon. Ahead. of the several hundred members and guests of the All England Club who filled the stands and climbed the stairs to the balconies overlooking the small court, Murray was able to compete again.
Even fellow champion Stan Wawrinka paused for a moment on the players' balcony to take a look at these former rivals who are once again fighting on opposite sides of the court.
Murray won the practice set convincingly 6-2 and went 2-1 up when they ran out of time. As a harbinger of the biggest tournament of the season, it was good.
“I trained well,” he said, grinning to reporters. “The last time we trained together was at the Laver Cup [in September last year]. Quite a lot of time has passed before that. I can't remember exactly what it was. It was, yes, maybe in Australia, when I had hip problems. I think then it was probably the last time.
“Where I am today, compared to where I was then, is day and night, just from a mental standpoint, my enjoyment of the game and how I can still compete with those guys. I didn’t feel like I could really do it back then.”
Practice match against Djokovic in 2019 was one of the worst moments in Murray's career. Photo: Getty Images/Frey
Two-time champion Murray, 36, kicks off his Wimbledon campaign against compatriot Ryan Peniston on Tuesday. Considering his career, it's amazing he's even here.
In 2019, he even apologized to a fan on social media for his poor performance in that training session with Djokovic. A few days later, he limped out of the Australian Open in a five-set match with Roberto Bautisto Agut and wept during his press conference, wondering if this would mark the end of his career.
It was a long way back to this level. While the 36-year-old Djokovic has won nine major titles since the practice, Murray underwent a career-threatening hip resurfacing and spent years climbing the world rankings to No. 39, including in lower level competitions. /p>
«I'm happy I'm still in this position, I really enjoyed it,» Murray said of his recovery. “We used to train quite a lot together. With many top players, of course, I never trained with Roger after 2007. Sometimes I have trained with Rafa, but I don't think Rafa and Novak have ever really trained with each other. Yeah, Novak and I have always trained with each other, even when we were competing for Grand Slams and all that. It was nice to be back on the court with him.»
Djokovic will be in contention for his eighth Wimbledon singles title. Photo: Getty Images/Frey
Murray is on the opposite side of Djokovic so won't face him again in these two weeks unless they both reach the final.
That said, it will be a huge boost of confidence based on a few positive weeks, when he won two Challenger titles at Surbiton and Nottingham. But Grand Slams are a different challenge, and have not gone beyond the third round since Wimbledon 2017.
He is arguably in the best shape he has been in since winning the title here in 2016. when, coincidentally, he also faced the Brit — Liam Brody — in the first round.
When asked if he considered symmetry a good omen, Murray joked: “Brilliant. Big. Can we start celebrating now?”
He added, “I want to go there and perform at a level that I'm happy with. I really feel like I'm in a very, very good position to do this. I have experience of participating in this tournament. Playing on big courts. There is only one player in the draw who has more experience here than I do, and that is Novak.
“Of course, [I] will be one of the few players who beat him here as well. I need to use this to my advantage, use my experience to my advantage and draw confidence from it. I really think that I am one of the best grass players in the world and I feel very good physically. I have prepared well, so there is no reason why I cannot have a good tournament.”
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