Andy Murray still has the game to go on a Wimbledon run this year. He believes it – he always has – but this time there is a difference and the two-time champion has a coach back in his corner who believes in it, too. The return of Ivan Lendl, who oversaw Murray’s Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016, has helped bring more than just a flash of a familiar face this week. Instead of doubts of injury concerns and whispers of late fitness tests, there is cautious excitement building at the prospect of the 35-year-old embarking on an unlikely and long-awaited tournament journey into the second week of a slam.
There were others who did not have the same faith, and some would say with good reason. While the grand slams have been the scene of Murray’s best moments since undergoing hip surgery five years ago, they have also seen some of his lowest. It’s been after the defeats to Denis Shapovalov at last season’s Wimbledon, or to Taro Daniel at January’s Australian Open, where there has been the open questioning of how long he can continue, let alone get back to the position of competing at a major tournament.
