Andy Murray, the current World No. 838, will take his first steps back to action this week at the Citi Open in Washington, DC. One would imagine that, at least on some level, Murray was thinking of Novak Djokovic when he made his comeback against Mackenzie McDonald in the first round, a match he barely got through.<\/p>\n
Both Djokovic and Murray have struggled over the last couple of years, but the Serb looked to be somewhere near his best again when winning Wimbledon last month<\/a>. Murray will hope that he soon sets off on a similar path to redemption.<\/p>\n However, it is all too easy for us looking in on tennis to compare one set of injuries with another, one recovery with another<\/a>. Djokovic\u2019s return to the top can act as inspiration for the Brit, but it does not necessarily mean Murray will recover in the same manner.<\/p>\n Murray return delayed several times<\/strong><\/p>\n Indeed, hip injuries \u2013 Murray had surgery on his right hip in January and hasn\u2019t played a Grand Slam in over a year \u2013 have a long and tortured history with tennis players. Often, hip surgery can be the death knell for a career. We must also remember that, while Djokovic struggled with injury, he still played sporadically, reaching the second week in a handful of Slams; Murray hasn\u2019t been barely seen on court since July 2017.<\/p>\n <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zD162uH4i8U” frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; encrypted-media” allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n But there is, of course, still hope for Murray. He has been more and more upbeat in recent weeks and we know the Scot is a determined and driven character. In fact, it is interesting to see the US Open odds from 888sport, who have priced Murray at 10\/1 to capture his second title at Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n Those odds make Murray fifth-favourite behind Djokovic (11\/4), Federer (7\/2), Nadal (7\/2) and Zverev (9\/1). Surely, that\u2019s some sort of record for a player with Murray\u2019s ranking? Regardless, it tells us that the bookmakers still have some belief in Murray\u2019s ability to make that comeback.<\/p>\n Sharpness may elude Murray at US Open <\/strong><\/p>\n Even if Murray was on his way to a full recovery, it is difficult to see him being 100% ready for a tournament that starts in less than four weeks. We will see how he fares in Washington, but, setting the injury aside for the moment, it may take more than a few weeks to iron out the wrinkles in his game.<\/p>\n Murray is an intelligent and driven character, but this might be the time for him to make some smart choices about his career. In a way, it may not be Djokovic who he should seek to emulate at this point in his recovery, but rather Roger Federer instead.<\/p>\n Murray can learn from Federer <\/strong><\/p>\n The Swiss has been masterful in picking and choosing his tournaments<\/a> over the last few years. Could we see a scenario where Murray perhaps misses the French Open in 2019 to increase his chances of a third Wimbledon title? It\u2019s a long way off, but something to ponder as Murray enters the twilight of his career.<\/p>\n On a side note, it would be nice to see Murray make his way back to full fitness as quickly as possible, just so we can see the \u2018Big 4\u2019 go at it once more. Yes, tennis must move on eventually from the \u2018Big 4\u2019 era, but it would be something special to see Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray at a Grand Slam. Pretty soon, it may be the last time we get the chance.<\/p>\n Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>