ATP Stuttgart: Andy Murray - "I've always liked coming to Germany"
Before his opening match on Tuesday at the ATP 250 tournament in Stuttgart against the Australian Christopher O'Connell, the three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray spoke at a press conference about his Weissenhof premiere, the motives for his generous support for Ukraine, the 14th French Open victory by Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev's bad luck with injuries.
by p.m
last edit: Jun 06, 2022, 05:52 pm
This is your 45th tournament on grass, but only the second you've played on grass outside of the UK. The only one so far was in Newport (USA) in 2005.
Yes, that was a long time ago. I don't know yet how different it will feel, but I've only heard good things about the courts here and about Stuttgart. My brother has competed here several times in doubles and has told me a few things.
How are you, how fit are you?
I played four matches at the Challenger in Surbiton last week. It was good tennis, but the courts were different there. More old school - flatter bounce, faster pace. But it was a good start to the grass season and hopefully I can continue like that here.
Is it special to come to a new venue, a new tournament, at this stage in your career?
Yes, but I like learning new things. I've always liked coming to Germany. I was in Munich, often in Hamburg. But that was before the date was changed and the tournament moved to Wimbledon. But I've always liked playing in Germany. I think tennis is a big part of the sports culture here. The country has always had great tennis players with great fan support. I also like playing tournaments that are held in real tennis clubs - like in Munich and here in Stuttgart.
In the first round you face Christopher O'Connell. Not the first time this year.
Yes, he played well in Australia earlier in the season. I beat him in Dubai but it was a tough, close match. So it won't be easy.
What are your goals for this and the coming weeks before Wimbledon?
I want to play as many matches as possible and improve compared to last week. You don't always have control over the outcome of a game, but I can control other things like my preparation and stuff like that. That is my goal.
You promised to donate your prize money to Ukrainian children and have repeatedly been critical of gun violence.
I donate my prize money to UNICEF, an organization I've been working with for a couple of years. What is happening in Ukraine right now is terrible. Children have to flee their homes, are separated from their families or even killed. I can't do much, but I try to give at least something back to help the people of Ukraine. Exactly what happens to the money varies, but UNICEF knows best what to do with it. The situation is always changing. But the money is there to help the families.
As for gun violence, when I was a child there was a terrible incident at my school in Dunblane where many people lost their lives to gun violence. After that, the laws were changed in our country and nothing like this has happened since then. So when something like this happens today, I can understand how people feel because I still feel affected by what happened back then. So I try to help where I can, but it's difficult for me to talk about it. You see it on TV all the time anyway. There have already been more than 200 such mass shootings in the United States this year. So maybe you should think about how you could change this culture.
So you donate your prize money. Is that an additional motivation to be as successful as possible here in Stuttgart?
I basically want to win every match I play. If something else positive comes out of it, if I can help other people with it, that's of course positive.
You must have followed the French Open. What are your thoughts on the proposal for Center Court to be named after Rafael Nadal?
I didn't watch all the games because I played a tournament myself and was on duty until Saturday. But I was able to watch a few matches. What Rafa Nadal and Iga Swiatek have achieved is incredible. Swiatek now has the opportunity to write its very own story. And Rafa? Winning 14 Grand Slam tournaments in the same venue is incredible. When he won his eleventh or twelfth title in Paris, I said I can't imagine ever seeing it repeated. There are hardly any players on the tour who will play Roland Garros 14 times, let alone win it 14 times. Carlos Alcaraz is 19 and should probably win the tournament every time he plays. I just can't imagine anyone doing it.
Alexander Zverev is still waiting for his first Grand Slam title.
Yes, it's a pity he got injured. I hope it's not too bad. Grand Slams are incredibly difficult to win. I know that from my own experience. There is no guarantee. In recent years he has always been in a good position to go far. Still, that's no guarantee. Novak (Djokovic, note) is still motivated and the generation around Zverev also wants to win. And then the next generation around Alcaraz and Rune is already pushing in. So it won't be easy for him. He'll get his chances, he's an absolute top player and has already won a lot, but I really can't say. It is impossible to predict such a thing.
Will you play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon in the future?
We talked about this last year. I came to Wimbledon without much preparation or expectations. She was also quite new to the tour, not having much experience. Then it didn't work out. I've reached the fourth round, she's the third. British tennis fans would certainly love something like that, but I really can't promise it. It's hard enough for me to compete in singles at the moment.
TV NOTE: ServusTV Germany broadcasts all center court matches of the BOSS OPEN live and exclusively on free TV and on ServusTV On.