Mubadala Tennis World Championship - 'He's out to prove a point' - Mats Wilander backs Andy Murray for top-10 return
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Updated 16/12/2021 at 08:29 GMT
Describing Andy Murray as a "superstar of the game", Eurosport expert Mats Wilander believes that some of the recent criticism of the three-time Grand Slam winner has spurred the Scot on. Murray is now 134th in the world and has not won an ATP tournament in more than two years after prolonged battles with injury.
'I didn't deserve to win' - Murray after missing seven match points
Mats Wilander has backed Andy Murray to return to the world's top 10, saying that it is "an achievable goal" for the three-time Grand Slam winner.
Murray is currently ranked 134th in the world after battling injuries for several years.
Though the Scot has won only one tournament in the last four-and-a-half years, Eurosport expert Wilander believes that he still has the quality to compete at the top level.
The former Swedish star, seven times a Grand Slam singles champion, thinks that Murray will only be spurred on by critics, who have written him off.
"I actually think it's an achievable goal [returning to the top 10]. I really do," Wilander told Eurosport.
"I actually think that throughout some of the last year or two, some of the criticism, [which] is always around when somebody who's been a superstar of the game is out there struggling, pushed him.
He's out to prove a point, and I think he's out to prove a point to all of us.
"I think he's out to prove a point to himself that it's not about number one in the world or winning Grand Slams. It's really about the day-to-day struggle and the day to day reward of when you're practising to try to become better than yourself, better than yourself yesterday.
"I think that he's out there, and I think he's found the reason, and he is going to build more and more momentum."
Murray last claimed victory at an ATP event in late 2019, beating Stan Wawrinka in the final of the European Open.
The 34-year-old spent a combined 41 weeks as the world number one earlier in his career but has struggled with a number of injuries since 2016, including multiple hip surgeries.
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Murray - Tsitsipas - US Open Highlights
However, there were promising signs of something more closely resembling the Murray of yesteryear in 2021, with the veteran pushing rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas to five sets in the opening round of the US Open.
Wilander feels that Murray has a certain set of qualities that will enable him to compete with top players even if he is now beyond his peak.
"Andy Murray has this ability to make his opponent a little bit worse," Wilander explained. "First of all, it's a sign of humility. It's a sign of someone that actually knows himself that he has certain limitations as a player. And I think those players that know their own limitations are the ones that are the greatest players in the world.
"Andy Murray knows that there are players out there who have more power. They might have even a better feel. I don't think they're stronger in the gym, but they're faster on the court, more explosive, and he knows that he needs to make them a little bit worse to be able to beat them.
"That's a sign of humility. And it's a sign of tennis IQ. The tennis IQ of Andy Murray is most probably at the top of tennis of all time.
"If he's playing well enough and the other guy doesn't serve too good, then he can beat anyone."
Murray opens his campaign at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship with a meeting with Dan Evans, a fellow former British number one.
The winner of that match will face Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
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