Andy Murray is one of the top doubles players in the world already and will return to the ATP top ten in singles, says the man who helped revive his career.Murray appeared to have all but retired earlier this year at the Australian Open, finally admitting defeat in his quest to to overcome a degenerative hip injury.
However, 41-year-old doubles star Bob Bryan recommended hip-resurfacing surgery to the former world number one after seeing it pay off for himself, and Murray has since declared himself ‘pain-free’ after returning to competitive tennis, albeit on the doubles circuit.
“Andy and I are in constant communication with one another,” Bryan told the Daily Mail.
“He’s updating me on how his post-surgery is coming along. What he was able to do at Wimbledon was amazing.
“I remember after my surgery I was watching TV in bed for a few days but he was already getting after it.
“Day one he was already in the pool, sending me videos of all the crazy stuff he was doing in rehab.’
“There is no one that works harder than Andy Murray and he is the best, that’s what makes him a champion.
“He is taking his body super seriously and he has a good team around him. He is at the courts before anyone gets there, doing everything he can, all the stretches and a proper warm-up and he is moving really well.”
Murray has had success in doubles competition, despite not playing with a regular partner.
He won Queen’s playing alongside Feliciano Lopez, and the pair will team up again at the Rogers Cup this week, with Murray teasing a potential singles return the following week at the Cincinnati Open.
“It has only been a few months and he is already one of the top doubles players in the world,” added Bryan, who has won 23 Grand Slam doubles titles, mostly with his twin brother Mike.
“He was moving great and looked good serving and so doing all the things you need to do to be top at doubles.
“He has said he has no pain and he has his motion. Only time will tell if he can go back out there and compete with a [Roger] Federer or a [Novak] Djokovic for four or five hours and what that will do to a metal hip.
“He says all the muscles around the hip are strong and it has healed up in there, so I don’t doubt he can come and be top 10 in the world again.
“The guy is so talented and he is one of the best ball strikers in the world, no-one has the type of mind he has and no-one wants it more than him so I don’t doubt it.”
Murray has not played in singles competition since Australia, where he lost his opening match to Roberto Bautista Agut in five grueling sets.Look ahead to the rest of 2019 with our guides to every tournament on the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour. If you can’t visit the tournaments you love then do the next best thing and read our guide on how to watch all the ATP Tour matches on television in 2019. To read more amazing articles like this you can explore Tennishead magazine here or you can subscribe for free to our email newsletter here
