Laura Robson predicts that Andy Murray will be targeting the second week of the US Open ‘if not further’ and has urged him to hold off on retirement.
Murray heads into the final Grand Slam of the year on the back of a stellar 2023 which has seen him climb up the rankings and register three ATP Challenger titles.
It has been a resurgence for the 36-year-old three-time major champion, who plays with a metal hip after surgery saved his career, and he’ll hope that a minor abdominal injury in the build-up to the US Open won’t impact him too heavily.
Murray missed out on a seeding at Wimbledon last month and narrowly lost in the second round to fifth-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a five-set thriller.
It showcased his ability to still compete against the best players in the game and despite dropping hints about retirement following his exit at SW19, former British No.1 Robson wants Murray to continue on the ATP Tour for the next few years.
‘Luckily it’s just a minor abdominal injury after a few marathon matches in Toronto,’ Robson told Metro.co.uk about Murray.
‘You definitely can’t play through it, because the serve is such an extension that it’s better to not risk it before a Slam.
‘To miss out on a seeding again would be disappointing for him but honestly I think he’s just so happy to be back in the mix and to be playing Grand Slams again.
‘He’s feeling like he can get to the tournament and do really well. To make the second week would be definitely his goal, if not further in the tournament.
‘I hope it’s not his last time at Flushing Meadows because I feel he’s got a lot more to give. He’s put in so much work to get back to where he is, and to be as healthy as someone with a metal hip can be.
‘I’d love to see him play for a couple more years because it seems like he is still really enjoying it.’
Robson also shared her thoughts on injured British star Emma Raducanu, who will not feature in the women’s singles as she continues to recover from surgery.
Raducanu won the US Open two years ago but has been plagued by injury problems and has struggled with form ever since.
Robson feels it is important for Raducanu not to rush her return to the WTA Tour but has backed the 20-year-old to return to the very top of the sport.
‘It’s going to take as long as it takes and you can’t put a timeline on it,’ Robson added.
‘You wouldn’t want that extra pressure on yourself to be saying, ‘Look, I want to be back in the top 50 by this point’ – because things change so quickly in tennis.
‘I think just to give her body enough rest, you wouldn’t rush back and wouldn’t want to push it. It’s so much work to even get to the point where you feel healthy enough to start hitting full-on and a very small setback can push you back weeks. You can set things off very quickly.’
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