‘One of the Worst Practice Players on Tour’ – Andy Murray’s Honest Admission Ahead of Novak Djokovic Clash at Madrid Open 2022

Andy Murray is gearing up for the face-off against Novak Djokovic for the Madrid Open in the round of 16. The British player has had a rough start to the year. He even announced that he will not be playing in the clay-court season. However, he has now reversed his decision. He has been performing well on the clay court and talked about his practice sessions with top players ahead of his matches on the court.

Andy Murray on clay

The British player rose to prominence when he brought the Wimbledon title home after a huge gap of 77 years in 2013. He won it again in 2016. But with time, he suffered various injuries and his performance stalled. The player was on the verge of retiring and was close to giving up professional tennis.

Read More: International Tennis Hall of Fame Honors Rafael Nadal’s Awe-Inspiring Comeback in a Huge Way

However, the resilience of the British player is visible this year. He would face Novak Djokovic in the round of 16. He has also practiced with top players on the court. When asked about his experience, he said, “It’s great for me to get to practice with them, like I practiced with de Minaur yesterday. I played sets with Shapovalov, Dan Evans, played a set with Jack Draper”.

Practice matches are not Murray’s forte

Murray shared that in 2016, when he was at his career’s peak, he might have won 2-3 practice matches. He added, ” I’m probably one of the worst practice players on tour (smiling). I have never played well in them. I don’t win many of them. You know, I try my hardest, you know, but it’s just not quite the same. I play much better in matches.”

Andy Murray accorded his reasoning to the fact, “For me, it’s really important to be on the court with them so they can push you physically in a way that players that are ranked lower cannot and also will test your game in ways that other players can’t.” He expressed his desire to play practice matches by saying, “Just being around the top players to test my movement, test my shots and my game and see where it’s at.”

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on facing each other

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have faced each other 36 times and the players would now face each other after a long time. The H2H of the two players has a ratio of 25-11 in favor of Novak Djokovic. Andy Murray defeated Denis Shapovalov and Dominic Thiem to face Novak Djokovic, while the Serbian player defeated Gael Monfils. Novak has finally got back on court after getting banned by various countries due to the vaccine regulations.

WATCH THIS STORY: Celebrating the multi-faceted Ashleigh Barty’s varied interests outside tennis on her 26th birthday

Do you think Andy Murray can take advantage of the halt of Novak Djokovic and can come out victorious?