Almost six years have passed since Andy Murray last lifted a major trophy, but the Scot is holding out hope for what's possible at his advanced age.
Rafael Nadal and Marin Cilic are blazing a trail for those on the more seasoned side of the ATP, having each advanced to the finals of this year's French Open. Nadal, 36, is in search of a record-extending 14th crown at Roland Garros, while 33-year-old Cilic is through to the last four in Paris for the first time.
Murray opted to skip the French Open in order to get an early start on his preparations for Wimbledon. After celebrating his 35th birthday in May, the three-time Grand Slam champion has said he can "take some inspiration" from Nadal and Cilic following their recent exploits.
"I don't know whether it's Rafa's last run or not because he seems to be doing physically really well during the event, so I hope he's able to continue going for a while," said Murray, who is through to the quarter-finals of the Surbiton Trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour.
"Cilic as well, he's someone I grew up with in the juniors and played a lot with. He has just made the semis of the French for the first ever time at 33 and is playing really well." Murray advanced to the third round of Wimbledon in 2021 following a three-year absence from SW19.
Nadal will face world No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Friday, having already defeated Novak Djokovic as he looks to also increase his record total of 21 major titles. Cilic has a tough test of his own in rising star Casper Ruud, the first Norwegian man to reach a Grand Slam semi.
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Murray defeated the Netherlands' Gijs Brouwer 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) on Thursday to reach the last eight of the Surbiton Trophy. Appearing at the Challenger event for the first time since 2004, he hopes the event will play a key role in galvanising his Wimbledon aspirations.
"It wasn't my best performance [against Brouwer], but I got to play lots of important points and deal with pressure situations that aren't the same as in practice," added Murray. "I have done a lot of training, practised a lot, so now I need the matches and hopefully I'll get a bunch of matches to get me ready for Wimbledon."
America's Brandon Nakashima awaits in the next phase of the competition, with Murray set to travel to Germany for the Stuttgart Open the following week. It's likely this year's Wimbledon will be one of Murray's last appearances at the London major, but Nadal and Cilic give the veteran hope for what could be.
