French Open: Novak Djokovic reveals Andy Murray talks
GETTY Novak Djokovic says he has spoken to Andy Murray
Murray’s prospects of playing at the All England Club are slim after his return from hip surgery ran into difficulty earlier this month and he pulled out of a return tournament in Loughborough. The double Wimbledon champion, 30, has also pulled out of two corporate appearances, has not played competitively since Wimbledon last year, and had hip surgery in January. Murray is due to make a return in Rosmalen in Holland in 10 days’ time, but, his team have said that will only happen if he is fully fit, and the chances of that look increasingly doubtful. Djokovic made it through to the third round of the French Open at Roland Garros last night with a 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Spaniard Jaume Munar to continue his own comeback after a lengthy elbow injury.
GETTY Novak Djokovic is into the French Open third round
I have spoken to Andy directly and indirectly, through his brother Jamie Novak Djokovic
And he revealed: “I have spoken to Andy directly and indirectly, through his brother Jamie. We are both part Player Council, and we had a meeting and he was on the conference call. We got to have FaceTime there, as well. He was very committed for three or four hours at that meeting. “I can only imagine how difficult it is for him to deal with the circumstances of injury. That’s something that I can relate to. I have had quite a similar situation, although his injury obviously takes more time. “And he’s got two children now, so life at home for sure for him is different, and I can understand that. “Hopefully we can see him back playing on grass, because that’s where I guess he wants to play.”
GETTY Novak Djokovic has only just recovered from a long-term injury lay-off
The former world No1 also admitted he had struggled to get motivated in the past year after battling with his own injuries. Djokovic has slipped to 22nd in the world rankings after a tough 12 months, an elbow injury bringing to an end his 2017 following Wimbledon, which also impacted his start to this year. The 12-times Grand Slam winner added: “To sit here and talk about how tough it is, and you have people starving to death, for me there is no point in talking about it. “As an athlete I have to face these challenges. If I overcome them or not, it’s just a matter of the work I have put in, luck and circumstances. I don’t like to talk any more about what is tough, what is not tough. I’m not worried about the elbow. “At the moment I’m not playing at the level I wish to, but I understand that it is a process that obviously takes time. I’m trying to not give up, and create the best out of this situation.
GETTY Andy Murray is aiming to be fit for Wimbledon