ANDY MURRAY will form a Dream Team partnership with Emma Raducanu in the Wimbledon mixed doubles.
Just when we thought his final match of his career at SW19 might be with brother Jamie, this bombshell was dropped on everybody.
Muzza, 37, has decided not to play singles as his body is not ready to face the rigours of five-set tennis.
Especially as he had spinal surgery 12 days ago to remove a cyst.
But the chance to play doubles, first with brother Jamie and now with the former US Open champion, is too good to turn down.
This will bring back memories of Murray’s famous partnership with Serena Williams in the summer of 2019 when they got to the third round.
Raducanu, 21, has only played ONE professional doubles in her life and that was a defeat with Danish ace Clara Tauson at the 2022 Citi Open in Washington.
At the London 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon, Murray won a silver medal in the mixed doubles competition alongside Laura Robson.
It is not about the money, of course, as both have earned plenty of dosh in their careers, but the pair will share a minimum of £4,250 between them for appearing in the first round.
Liverpool’s Neal Skupski won the mixed doubles crown with American Desirae Krawczyk in 2021 and 2022.
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The draw will be made on Wednesday lunchtime and the opening matches will be scheduled for Friday or Saturday – that depends on Raducanu’s singles participation.
This means if Andy and Jamie lose their men’s doubles opener with Rinky Hijikata and John Peers, then his involvement in the mixed will be the final balls he hits in anger at his most favourite tournament.
Raducanu is set to play her second round singles match against Belgium’s Elise Mertens third on No1 Court this afternoon.
Should she triumph, she will be due to face either Arantxa Rus or ninth seed Maria Sakkari, who she beat on the way to winning the US Open in 2021, on Friday.
Following her victory on Monday, Raducanu was asked about what examples she has taken from Murray during his career.
She said: “I would say the biggest standout thing for me was when he lost in the final here of Wimbledon, then came back a month later and won the Olympics.
“I think that to get through six really difficult rounds, then lose in the final, then to play a month later and be in the final again, your mind, without you realising, just runs like deja vu scenarios. I made it to the final.
“It’s very difficult to shut that out, which is in a way why I’m very grateful and happy that I won the US Open.
“To make the final and not win it, you always have in the back of your head, Will I ever get it? Will I ever get it? For me, I have it now.”
She later added on any pointers she has received from Murray: “I think the biggest advice is just how he’s always taken care of his operations, how he manages his people.
“I haven’t really spoken to him so much. I think for me it’s just like watching him operate day to day, watching him be absolutely on it with everything. Even in practice now, he’s so on it to the minute.
“I think me, when I was a bit younger maybe, showing up 15 minutes before practice to do a few arm curls, swing my hand around and warm up, he’s there for an hour and a half doing treatment. He just sets really good examples.”
She idolises Andy and now she gets the chance to play with him
John Lloyd, two-time former WImbledon mixed doubles champion
John Lloyd, the winner of two mixed doubles titles with Wendy Turnbull in 1983 and 1984, said of the partnership: “Love it. I can’t believe it. That is so good.
“To have these two together, she idolises Andy and now she gets the chance to play with him in probably his last tournament. How special is that?
“You know how seriously he is taking that! He will have said to Emma, we are going to win this, we are not just here to have fun. We are going to win this. That is how competitive he is.
“I think they will be on the Centre Court!
“He wouldn’t have entered the mixed unless he was going to play the men’s doubles as well. We are going to see him.
“It’s better than nothing, it’s not obviously the singles. We would have loved to have seen play in the singles going up against some of these great players. It wasn’t to be.
“At least he is in something. He will love it. The crowd will love it. In both events he will play, he will think he can win both. That’s the way he is.”
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