Former World No.1 Andy Murray has received a wildcard and will directly play in the main draw of French Open 2020, beginning next week. The Brit returns to the flagship event in Paris after 3 and a half years.

Murray took to Instagram to show his delight at returning to the French Open’s center court, Court Philipe-Chartier. He also recalled his last match at the French Open, a brutal five-setter.

Andy Murray vs Stan Wawrinka, French Open 2017 Semi-final

The last time we saw a ‘prime’ Andy Murray was in 2017. That year, Murray played a ‘brutal’ semifinal match against Stan Wawrinka at Roland Garros, which lasted for an exhausting four and a half hours.

In one of his best matches on clay, Murray narrowly lost out to the Swiss. Unfortunately, the match had some long-term implications for Murray’s body.

It was after this match that Murray’s now infamous hip problems started, leading to two career-threatening hip replacement surgeries.

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“Been a long journey to get back on Court Philipe Chatrier. 3 and half years since I played @stanwawrinka85 in a brutal 5 set semi-final which turned out to be the end of my hip. It was a pleasure to be back @rolandgarros and a huge thank you to the @fftennis for giving me the opportunity to play here again. The new stadium with the roof looks amazing and all the changes and improvements they have made for the players is much appreciated,” Murray wrote in the caption.

Since then, Murray has had troubles even qualifying for Grand Slams. At one stage, it seemed certain that Murray’s career would end after the surgeries. But to the amazement of health professionals and the player himself, he made a heroic comeback to the sport.

French Open will see Murray’s second main draw Grand Slam appearance in 2020. Murray won his first Grand Slam match since 2018 after he won the first round tie at US Open 2020.

Read More: “Would Marry Roger”: Andy Murray Responds to a Tricky Question About Big Three