Wimbledon: Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu team up

LONDON: Tennis ace Andy Murray said he was relishing a rare opportunity to play alongside fellow Briton Emma Raducanu in the Wimbledon mixed doubles event after the pair were awarded a wildcard by the organisers on Wednesday.

Twice singles champion Murray, 37, is playing in his final Wimbledon but pulled out of his singles opener against Czech Tomas Machac on Tuesday due to a back problem.

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He is also competing in the men’s doubles with his brother Jamie, and they face Australians Rinky Hijikata and John Peers in the first round on Thursday.

Murray, who last played in the grasscourt Grand Slam’s mixed doubles tournament in 2019 alongside American Serena Williams to reach the third round, said he would enjoy playing with the 21-year-old Raducanu.

“We’d spoken about it a few years ago during the Covid year, but both of us ended up doing quite well in singles so it didn’t happen,” Murray said.

“And then yesterday I was chatting to my team, they were discussing mixed and last night I messaged her coach and said: ‘Look, do you think this is something maybe she’d be up for doing?’ He said it was worth asking.

“I asked her and she said she would be up for it. It should be fun. I’ve played mixed doubles a few times when I was young and then the last time was with Serena. I really enjoyed it, it’s something we rarely get to do.”

Former US Open champion Raducanu beat Elise Mertens 6-1 6-2 later on Wednesday and said she had jumped at the chance to partner Murray.

“My doubles record isn’t the longest but I couldn’t say no. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, a dream of mine since I was a young girl watching the Olympics,” Raducanu said.

“Andy’s a hero to us all, so it’s a real gift and a real honour that he asked me. I’m just super-excited and hopefully I can learn a thing or to about coming to the net or something.”

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Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray, who resurrected his career after having hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019, previously said that he was unlikely to continue his career beyond this year and could bow out at the Olympics in Paris.

The tennis competition at the Games starts on July 27.