In his final appearance at the All England Club, Andy Murray has been given the green light to compete in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, alongside Emma Raducanu. Previously, Murray had successful runs in the mixed doubles tournament with Serena Williams in 2019, reaching the third round. For Raducanu, this represents her introduction to the Grand Slam doubles scene; her only previous top-tier doubles game was in Washington two years prior.
Interestingly, Raducanu expressed desire to partner with Murray in a doubles match in the past. However, no definitive plans were made at the time. The duo has experienced head-to-head competition in the previous summer during a Battle of the Brits event, which was organised at the National Tennis Centre amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Murray, who recently withdrew from the singles tournament at Wimbledon because of insufficient recovery time post back surgery, is also scheduled to compete in the men’s doubles event with his brother Jamie on Thursday. The mixed doubles competition kicks off on Friday and Saturday.
Raducanu admitted that Murray’s professionalism and meticulousness both on and off the court have had a significant impact on her. She mentioned that despite their limited interactions, merely observing his schedule and dedication has been highly instructive. Particularly, his meticulous preparation before practice, contrasted with her casual warm-ups, has set really good examples for her.