Andy Murray’s continuing search for a partner in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon – which is starting to resemble a Tinder quest – took a comic turn on Saturday when Johanna Konta was asked if she had joined the queue, or even been approached. Asked if she had considered “offering her services” to the triple‑slam champion at the All England Club when the championships start on 1 July, she laughed and said: “It makes me sound like a hooker.”
She added: “I haven’t really given it any thought. He has had some offers and some have said ‘no’. I just assume that is because they are focusing on different things. He hasn’t asked me yet so I’ve not thought about it. I’d have to speak to my coaches because I haven’t thought about mixed doubles, so I don’t know.”
Murray seems no closer to finding a partner in the mixed, although he surely will not be left standing friendless at the gates when entries close on the eve of the tournament. Ashleigh Barty, the new French Open champion, has already turned him down, reluctantly, saying she was honoured to be asked but did not want to risk overload as she strove for another singles title.
Konta, who is preparing for the Nature Valley Championships in her home town of Eastbourne, said: “I haven’t watched Andy at Queen’s. I’ve seen some highlights on social media and I have seen how excited he is to be back on court which is brilliant to see.”
Murray said earlier in the week, self-mockingly: “I have spoken to a couple of players. I’ve been rejected a couple of times so far.”
Nevertheless, Maria Sharapova and Barbora Strýcová are among those who would be keen to play with Murray, whose main objective will be to go deep in the men’s doubles, alongside the Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert. This week he will warm up at Eastbourne partnering the excellent Brazilian, Marcelo Melo, who won the Wimbledon title with Lukasz Kubot in 2017.
Whatever the banter, Murray is serious about winning a title on his return to tennis after five months recuperating from his second hip operation.
