Andy Murray 'gutted' to miss Australian Open despite recovering from Covid

Andy Murray admitted he was “gutted” to finally admit defeat in his attempt to play at next month’s Australian Open.

Murray’s build-up to the tournament was ruined by a positive Covid test almost two weeks ago, which prevented him from travelling to Australia on one of the 17 charter flights laid on by organisers.

He has since emerged from self-isolation and suffered few symptoms. But the virus – and, above all, its unfortunate timing – has still undone him.

Had Murray booked a flight to Melbourne this weekend, he would have had to serve a full 14-day hard quarantine, rather than being permitted a five-hour daily training window like most of the other players. To have walked straight out of his hotel room into a best-of-five-set match would have invited injury.

“Gutted to share that I won’t be flying out to Australia to compete at the Australian Open,” said Murray in a statement. “We’ve been in constant dialogue with Tennis Australia to try and find a solution which would allow some form of workable quarantine, but we couldn’t make it work.

“I want to thank everyone there for their efforts, I’m devastated not to be playing out in Australia - It’s a country and tournament that I love.”

Murray had hoped to make his return to Melbourne Park this year after famously being “retired” by a farewell video there in 2019. But as events of the past fortnight have demonstrated, the fierceness of Australian bio-security protocols cannot be relaxed for anyone, even a former world No 1.

As he stews over this latest setback – a ninth major tournament missed in the last three-and-a-half years – he may find himself wondering whether a similarly hardline approach could have been taken at the National Tennis Centre in south-west London.

Murray tested positive after a mini-outbreak at the NTC. At least four other players and coaches contracted the virus as well as the Lawn Tennis Association doctor. Since then, tougher measures have been introduced. To take one example, all the players’ rackets now have to be prepared by the same on-site stringer.

The Australian Open has been extremely eventful for Murray over the years, for better and for worse. On the upside, he has reached the final there five times, achieving a win rate of 79 per cent which is second only to his record at Wimbledon.

Frustratingly, though, he has never lifted the title, and has suffered several long dark nights of the soul during his Melbourne stays. Think not only of his semi-retirement two years ago but also of the terrifying moment in 2016 when his father-in-law Nigel Sears collapsed on the court.

This latest news will add another bleak day to the list. We might argue, however, that Murray is better off than the 72 unfortunate souls who are now stuck in hard quarantine in Melbourne because of a positive Covid test on their charter flights.

Murray’s own fitness trainer Matt Little told Metro this week that “explosive work after a two-week period of enforced rest [is] actually really quite dangerous for them.”

One of those players, Paula Badosa of Spain, revealed on Friday that she had tested positive and apologised for her previous critical comments about quarantine. “Preventive measures are pivotal right now,” she said in a Twitter post.

Finally, the controversial former tennis champion Margaret Court – who won a record 24 majors but has alienated the LGBT community with her religious objections to homosexuality – is to receive one of her country’s most distinguished awards next week when she will be named Companion of the Order of Australia. The decision has drawn criticism from politicians and activists.