Could Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic both miss Wimbledon?

Jun 6, 2018

Murray delays comeback and Djokovic doubts if he will play on grass at all this year

Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the 2013 Wimbledon final

The 2018 Wimbledon Championships could be without two of its past men’s singles winners after Andy Murray pulled out of a warm-up tournament and Novak Djokovic put doubts on his grass-court summer plans.

British No.2 Murray, the champion in 2013 and 2016, was expected to make a comeback this month at the Libema Open grass-court event in ’s-Hertogenbosch in Holland. But the BBC reports that the 31-year-old has delayed his return.

Murray had hip surgery in January and although he will miss the event in the Netherlands he is still hopeful of playing Wimbledon, which starts on 2 July.

He said: “I am not quite ready to return. I am still aiming to play in the coming weeks, but I want to be 100% when I do return. It is with regret that I won’t be ready to play in s’Hertogenbosch. I was excited to play there for the first time.”

Murray “faces a race against time to be fit”, Sky Sports reports, and in an interview with the broadcaster he said his recovery has been “very slow”.

Djokovic: I’m not thinking about tennis

Serbian star Djokovic is also a doubt for this year’s championships after he suffered a shock quarter-final defeat at the French Open yesterday against world No.72 Marco Cecchinato.

Speaking after his defeat in Paris, the three-time Wimbledon winner was asked in the post-match press conference if he will play on grass this year.

He replied: “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I just came from the court. Sorry, guys, I can’t give you that answer. I cannot give you any answer. I’m just not thinking about tennis at the moment.”