Every Grand Slam tournament serves as an education for players who don’t pick up the trophies at the end of the fortnight and hopefully the likes of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios and others will learn from the example of Roger Federer.
Injuries are part and parcel of sport; you put your body under stress in the highest level of competition and no matter how fit you are, things will break down from time to time.
This past fortnight the example of Federer has demonstrated the importance of resting the body, overcoming the impatient “workaholic” feeling that so many of us have experienced in feeling the need to do physical work every day, and allowing the sharpness and durability to return naturally.
I believe Murray will overcome the hip problem that marred his title defence. He has seen a couple of specialists and I am hopeful he will be sufficiently fit to return in a few weeks. If he is advised to rest for a couple of months and misses the US Open, however, then so be it.
“I know what it is like to play with an injury and was never quite right after my Achilles tendon snapped
Federer did not sit out only the French Open but the entire clay-court season because he doesn’t like playing on the surface. He worked out his options and came to the conclusion that his best chance of adding to his list of major titles was on the grass at Wimbledon. Being totally fit and fresh would give him a massive advantage — and so it turned out.
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Djokovic’s elbow problem is potentially something more difficult and I have heard he told some Serbian journalists that he could be sidelined for the remainder of the year. He has been suffering for quite some time, all the way back to before last year’s US Open, and now I think he believes it’s time to finally get things sorted.
It has now been proven that there is a link between stress and mental burnout with injuries. Djokovic admitted he lost motivation after working so hard to finally win the French Open title and complete his personal list of the four majors. Ever since he finally came out on top at Roland Garros last year, he has struggled.
The same goes for Murray. He knocked himself out, mentally and physically, on that memorable run at the end of last year when he won five titles in a row — Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, the Paris indoors and the ATP World Tour Finals at the London 02. He achieved his goal of reaching the world No 1 ranking but it came with a price and there has been a succession of illnesses and injuries this year.
Look back a few years with Rafael Nadal and his knee and back problems. He was not happy off the court, his parents’ marriage appeared to have broken down and Nadal took it all very badly. Playing tennis was not the joy it had previously been and his body responded in a negative way.
Coming into a Grand Slam tournament with an injury and expecting to get through seven best-of-five-set matches is a big call. I am certain Murray had a long conversation with Ivan Lendl, who knows all about painful hips after having both of his replaced. Lendl is a hard man but he would have told Murray that the decision to play Wimbledon was one only he could make. But once he opted to compete, there could be no complaining that he was not fit enough.
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Although we saw Murray limping around the locker room and hobbling back to the baseline after playing a point there was not a murmur of complaint.
I know what it is like to play with an injury and was never quite right after my Achilles tendon snapped at the Japanese Open of April 1989. I was out for a year but didn’t know anything other than tennis and tried everything to get back.
Medical advances make it easier for today’s players but you must listen to what your body is telling you. I doubt whether Murray or Djokovic will take much notice of the Wimbledon final. Tennis players are selfish individuals and they will just be thinking about recapturing full fitness. Rest is the most important healing agent.