Andy Murray: French Open swansong, Olympic qualification and retirement plans

The Scot has recovered from an ankle injury in time to take his place in the Roland Garros draw at the start of a very important summer.

Here, we attempt to answer some key questions around what comes next for the British sporting icon.

 

How is Murray looking?

The good news is that his ankle is in good enough shape to allow him to play but he has won only one match on clay – via a withdrawal at a second-tier event – so expectations of success in Paris should be low.

 

Why is he playing?

Murray’s hip problems first surfaced at Roland Garros in 2017 and he has played at the French Open only once since, suffering a chastening loss to Stan Wawrinka in the first round four years ago.

But, with retirement looming, Murray wants to play in the biggest events, while he has made appearing at a final Olympics on the Parisian clay a key goal.

 

Doubles?

Murray knows, barring a miracle, his only chance of an Olympic medal this summer lies in doubles. With that in mind, he has entered the men’s doubles at the French Open with Dan Evans, although the pair are likely to need a wild card to get in.

 

Will Murray qualify for the Olympics?

Rankings at the end of the French Open will be used for Olympic entry. Murray is currently ranked 75 and only 56 players qualify on ranking, but that is limited to four per nation, while some players usually opt not to play as there are no ranking points.

If Murray does not make it by ranking, he would almost certainly earn one of two places reserved for grand slam champions and Olympic gold medallists. In doubles, the 37-year-old could team up again with Joe Salisbury.

 

What about grass?

Before the Olympics, Murray’s biggest goal will be to perform strongly for a final time at Wimbledon. His prowess on grass means a notable run is not out of the question.

Ahead of Wimbledon, he will play in Stuttgart and at Queen’s Club, while he could also defend his title at Surbiton depending on how he fares at the French Open.

 

When will he retire?

He has kept that close to his chest, and may not be exactly sure himself yet. Wimbledon would be an obvious stopping point but Murray has spoken a lot about wanting to play at the Olympics.

The US Open follows swiftly afterwards, while Britain play on home soil again in September at the Davis Cup in Manchester.