John McEnroe believes that Andy Murray is among the best 12 men’s players at Wimbledon and comfortable enough on grass to compete for a deep run at the tournament.
“I put him in the top dozen players that understand what it takes to compete and do well on grass,” said McEnroe. “So from that alone, if he gets a couple breaks here and there and gets going, who knows what could happen? Winning it, that’s a big ask, but you never know.”
Murray returns to Wimbledon after a curious grass-court season, having opted to compete in consecutive Challenger events, winning in Surbiton and Nottingham. In his only ATP event on grass, Murray lost in straight sets to Alex de Minaur in the first round of Queen’s. De Minaur reached the final, losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
That loss means Murray, twice a winner in SW19, will be unseeded once again and at the mercy of Friday’s draw. McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion who will be a pundit for the BBC this year, said he thinks any progress will be contingent on avoiding a difficult draw. Still, McEnroe, 64, is “amazed” by Murray’s continued presence on the tour despite his physical issues.
“I’m sure he’s been inspired by Novak [Djokovic] because they are the same age [36] and look at this guy who looks like he’s 25,” he said. “So they do crazy things now with the medical people – I didn’t know how he is even playing in the first place. So I’m amazed that he’s been able to get back and it’s been a long, hard road. I’m pulling for him to do something.”
Emma Raducanu will be a high-profile absentee at Wimbledon as she continues to recover from surgery to both wrists and an ankle, with her return date still uncertain. McEnroe said he is sympathetic towards her as she has dealt with the pressure that has followed her ever since her breakout run to the fourth round of Wimbledon two years ago.
“You feel for her, you want her to be able to go out and enjoy the process, the journey that takes place. She’s won a major, which 99% of players or more can’t say, but you don’t want to be that one-hit wonder either. So this is going to be a long road back because she has to start over in a way.”
This week has been marked by Russian and Belarusian players returning to the All England Club in order to train before Wimbledon after being banned last year due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. McEnroe says that he does not remember any period as politically charged as this one since his debut in 1977.
“To say that it’s been difficult for a lot of people, for a lot of different reasons, would be an incredible understatement. And [it’s been difficult to know] how to handle that, as the All England Club attempted to do last year,” he said.
“Now they’re trying to shift gears and everyone’s trying to figure this out, which has been extremely difficult. So, I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, honestly. This is unprecedented in a lot of ways. I can’t think of anything that’s even remotely close.”
