The British tennis star Andy Murray has made the decision to skip the upcoming French Open in order to prioritize his preparations for the grass-court season leading up to Wimbledon.
The 36-year-old former world number one has participated in Roland Garros only once since 2017.
Despite winning the clay-court Challenge event in Aix-en-Provence in May, Murray has struggled to find consistency on the surface.
His recent performances include a loss to long-time rival Stan Wawrinka in Bordeaux and early exits in ATP Tour events in Rome, Madrid, and Monte Carlo.
Murray did manage to secure his first clay-court title since 2016 by defeating world number 17 Tommy Paul in Aix-en-Provence, coming back from a set down. This victory marked his first singles trophy in four years.
Expressing uncertainty about playing in Roland Garros, Murray stated, “It’s just what the right thing is to prioritize at this stage in my career. I trust my body now, but I’m aware that my best chance of having a deep run is more likely to happen at Wimbledon.”
Murray is scheduled to participate in the Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club from 19-25 June, which serves as a warm-up event for Wimbledon. The British grass-court season will kick off with the Surbiton Trophy from 4-11 June.
In the French Open, Murray reached the final in 2016, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, and the semi-finals in the following year when Wawrinka ended his campaign.
Having undergone career-saving hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, Murray initially dropped to 503rd in the men’s rankings but has since climbed back to 42nd in the world.
Murray’s withdrawal adds to the list of high-profile players skipping Roland Garros, including 14-time champion Rafael Nadal, as well as Italy’s Matteo Berrettini and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
