
Former Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander believes that regardless of Andy Murray's results this season, the Brit has already surpassed expectations.
Murray underwent his second hip surgery in 2019, and returned to the ATP circuit after considering retirement. The three-time Grand Slam champion has been steadily rising up the ATP rankings ever since, with impressive victories over Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner towards the end of last season.
The former World No.1 reached his first final since 2019 last week when he reached the final in Sydney, falling to Aslan Karatsev. Nonetheless, Wilander believes that Murray's comeback has been a successful one.
"Andy Murray’s comeback is a big success to me," Wilander said in an interview with Eurosport's The Cube. “The fact he is back physically, being able to play for over four hours is incredible.
“The fact he has had surgeries and he went down and he played in the lowest level of professional tennis to gain some match experience and some confidence. To then come back and play in front of thousands of people with the pressure that that brings and seem to enjoy it this way.
“The comeback is a huge success, it doesn’t matter when he ends in terms of rankings.”
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Murray defeated 23rd seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in a five-set thriller in his first round match at the Australian Open, and next faces Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.
"Andy’s next opponent, Taro Daniel, is a good tennis player, he is solid, but it is going to be up to Murray’s physical recovery I believe because who knows how he is going to recover," added Wilander.
“I am sure he is going to do everything he can. Emotionally, I am sure he will be charged up for this match.
“But suddenly the tables are turned and he is the favorite and he has to pressure him because he has the chance to get to the third round of a Grand Slam. This is a massive match for Andy Murray.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
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mandoist31-10-2026








