ANDY MURRAY makes his long-awaited Wimbledon comeback on Monday but insists it is NOT goodbye.
Georgian No 24 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili will be his first-round opponent as Murray plays singles at SW19 for the first time in four years.
Privately, some have speculated if this could be the last time the two-time champion is seen at Wimbledon.
It is a fear that was reinforced recently when Murray confessed he treats every match these days as if it were his last.
Yet the 34-year-old Scot — whose career has been blighted by injuries, operations and aborted returns — is adamant that 2021 does not represent the end.
The three-time Grand Slam champion said: “I don’t want it to be my last Wimbledon.
“That’s not my plan. I’m not going into Wimbledon thinking I’m saying goodbye.
“I want to keep going and keep playing but obviously I don’t know.
“If I got a significant injury or whatever, then yeah, that would obviously change things. But I guess that’s the case with most players when they get into their mid-30s.
“I’m still planning on playing for as long as I can, so I hope that’s the case.”
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Murray’s last Wimbledon appearance, if you forget the doubles experiment in 2019, was a five-set quarter-final defeat to American Sam Querrey in 2017 which ended his title defence.
Essentially he was playing on one leg and in so much pain he was relieved when it was all over.
He skipped the 2018 tournament at the last minute through injury.
In 2019, he only played doubles as he continued his rehabilitation from a career-saving hip operation.
And, of course, 12 months ago the Championships were cancelled for the first time since the Second World War due to the Covid crisis.
The event starts next week with 50 per cent attendances — around 21,000 fans per day — and will then build to full capacity for the finals.
Murray, now 119th in the world, said: “I’m going to be excited and I’m sure I’ll be nervous as well.
“Obviously I’ve missed playing in front of fans. It was nice to do that at Queen’s but I’ve also just missed playing at Wimbledon, playing at the majors. The US Open last year was fun but with no fans, it just felt a bit empty. It’s not the same.
“I feel lucky I’m getting another chance to do it and hopefully I can put in a solid performance.
“Often I got into a zone the week before Wimbledon. I was always very stressed, tunnel vision in the build-up, and I maybe did not appreciate that week as much.
“I was always just thinking about trying to win the event, rather than just enjoying it a little bit more.
“I’ll obviously try and do that this week but I’m sure the closer the tournament gets, my competitive instincts will kick in.”
All players are operating inside a tournament ‘bubble’ — ferrying between a Westminster hotel and the grounds — and Murray’s wife and four kids are not expected to attend.
Murray said: “I’ve thought more about what I’d have done differently and regrets that I might have had. For the most part, I’m the same, I’m still extremely competitive.
“I’ll still want to work and train hard every day to try and get better and give myself a chance to play at the highest level.”
Murray is an ambassador and investor in HALO Hydration, which is now available in the UK at HALOHydration.com
