Iga Swiatek Knocked Out, Andy Murray Will Be Back
Locker Room
March 26, 2024
Iga Swiatek has been surprisingly knocked out of the Miami Open.
But for Andy Murray the manner of exit was far more serious. And now he faces a dramatic race against time to be ready for Wimbledon 2024.
World number sixteen Ekaterina Alexandrova ended Swiatek’s hopes of a second sunshine double when she beat the Polish favourite 6-4, 6-2. It was the first time she had ever defeated a reigning world number one.
For Iga it was just a temporary setback in a stellar career. But when you demand so much of yourself, defeat is always going to be hard to take.
She explained: ‘Disappointed for sure because I thought I was going to play better here in Miami. But she played an amazing match and she was the better player out there today.
‘I had a hard time reading her serve and I got a little bit tense when I couldn’t return well.’
Iga Swiatek will be back with all guns blazing. And we can look forward to seeing the best player in the world at Wimbledon 2024.
For Andy Murray, life has become a little more complicated. And it’s sad because he had been playing so well against Tomas Machac.
In fact, if he had executed a routine forehand in the deciding breaker, Murray would have taken a 5-2 lead. But it wasn’t to be – and the Czech won through 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).
Then came worse news for Murray. And that immediately set up the race against time to be fit for Wimbledon 2024 – one we all hope he can win.
Andy Murray would dearly love to join Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon 2024. He will do everything in his power to be ready.
But Britain’s national treasure explained that his ankle ligaments are now a mess: ‘Yesterday towards the end of my match in Miami I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL and near full thickness rupture of my CFL.
‘I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine the next steps. It goes without saying that this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period.
‘But I’ll be back – with one hip and no ankle ligaments – when the time is right.’
It was typical Andy Murray to introduce some humour into a painful situation. And he may have a tough call to make before very long.
It looks as though Andy Murray might have to decide between a farewell match or two on Centre Court at Wimbledon 2024 – and hope his ankle holds up for as long as he can stay in the tournament.
Or otherwise he will have to make the painful decision to miss Wimbledon 2024 – in the hope of being fit for Flushing Meadows and the US Open a few weeks later.
All will become clearer when he sees specialists in the UK in the days to come. But Andy is a fighter – and he will desperately want to appear at the All England Club.
Wimbledon 2024 will provide the stage for incredible drama whatever happens. Come and see Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner!
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