Can Andy Murray bounce back in 2021?

Those who were hoping that Andy Murray might just get back to his winning ways in 2021 have already been dealt an early blow. Murray’s positive coronavirus test last week will almost certainly end up keeping him out of the Australian Open. Although the Scot is expected to make a full recovery, the diagnosis means that he faces another battle for full fitness.

Having spent months on the sidelines following a long-term hip injury, Murray was planning for an increased workload this year to really test his fitness and he see if he could climb back toward top 10 and challenge at Grand Slams once again. This is a rough start to 2021, but can he recover?

Packed Schedule

With the tennis calendar requiring a major overhaul in 2020, four months’ worth of tournaments were rescheduled or cancelled. This year will hopefully be much busier, even though the calendar won’t look the same as it does in normal seasons. All four Grand Slams remain on the list of events to be played, while we are also in an Olympic year. The ATP Cup, the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, and a host of other important competitions will be held. With so many opportunities, what are the chances of Murray lifting a trophy this year?

The good news is that his favorite tournaments are back on the calendar. Of his three Grand Slam wins, two have come at Wimbledon. The tour will presumably return to SW19 after Wimbledon was the lone major cancelled in 2020. Murray also the two-time reigning men’s singles Olympic champion, having captured gold in 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro).

However, all of those titles were won when Murray was fit and in his prime. He’ll be 34 in May and while he’s still six years younger than Roger Federer, his body isn’t quite in tune in the same way as the Swiss.

Wimbledon Rated as Murray’s best chance

The sportsbooks are usually good judges when it comes to rating the chances of any individual player, and they are painting something of a gloomy picture for Murray and his fans. As we’ve seen, the Wimbledon Championships traditionally tend to offer his best chance of a major trophy—but  according to sites listed on Legalbetting.com he is an outside bet at 20/1.

Novak Djokovic is the favorite in the Wimbledon market and there are no fewer than seven players listed ahead of Murray in the outright odds. This site provides regular updates on tennis betting while traditionally providing sportsbooks that are open to U.S. customers. At that 20/1 figure, it may be better to consider one of the free bet offers that are accessible via legalbetting.com.

If we move on to the French Open, where Murray was a finalist in 2016, he drops right down the rankings. At 100/1 to triumph at Roland Garros in 2021, there will be few takers for the Scot. It seems that Wimbledon will once again offer his best chance of Grand Slam glory.

Murray Remains Upbeat

Speaking at the end of 2020, Murray was optimistic about his chances of making it back into the elite of the ATP Tour. It may have been somewhat of a bold claim considering that he’d been forced to miss the last events of 2020 due to tendonitis in his hip, but the Scot was nonetheless upbeat.

Murray cited a win over Alexander Zverev as proof that he could still compete with the best players in the game. He felt that the quality was still there and that if he was fit, he could be competitive on the ATP Tour. From a slightly neutral point of view, former British No. 1 Tim Henman also stated that Murray was playing ‘pain free’ back in March.

Murray admitted that fitness was the main unknown as 2021 began and the Australian Open would have given observers a chance to assess his potential as the new year got underway. For now, he is sitting on the sidelines. But when he returns with his health restored, this will be a pivotal 10 months or so for the 33-year-old in terms of his decision to either keep on going or retire.