World No. 3 Andy Murray believes having Mixed Doubles tournaments is a good thing for tennis. The Scot has been vocal about how female tennis player shouldn't be underestimated. The 30-year-old drew attention to himself a few years ago when he brought in former Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo as his coach.
The official ATP calendar features four mixed doubles events per year. All four events are being held at Grand Slams — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Mixed doubles are also part of the Hopman Cup — the annual international tournament held in Perth in Week 1 of the tennis season.
The Hopman Cup is not an ATP event.
Murray said in his contribution to BBC 100 Women that "in tennis, we benefit" from mixed doubles, before adding, as quoted by the iNews, "So men and women, boys and girls, are used to this idea."
A funny experience
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam and twice Olympic champion, reveals he is a fan of the game of mixed doubles. The Scot has played in the competition occasionally throughout his career at Grand Slams and the Hopman Cup. For the first time since 2014, he will have concluded a season without playing any mixed doubles events as he didn't play any matches in the competition this year.
Murray has had some notable mixed doubles campaigns in the past. Murray and Laura Robson won three matches in a row at the 2010 Hopman Cup, before they lost in the final match.
Murray and Robson partnered at the 2012 London Olympics where the home-favorites just fell short of winning it all. Back then, Belarus's Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi took gold after beating Murray and Robson in the final 2-6 6-3 10-8.
Murray didn't play in the competition until 2015, when he teamed up alongside Heather Watson at the Hopman Cup in back-to-back years.
Murray and Watson won two and lost one match at both the 2015 and 2016 tournament. The duo gave a shot to last year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where they bowed out in round two.
"Some of the most fun I’ve had on court has been when playing mixed doubles – with Heather Watson and Laura Robson at both the Hopman Cup in Australia and at the Olympics," Murray confessed in his contribution to the BBC.
What about Robson and Watson?
It remains to be seen whether Murray will be playing mixed doubles alongside Robson or Watson once again. Murray jokingly claimed he has some doubts whether Robson and Watson enjoyed playing with him. Murray, who played his first match in the competition in 2005, has a 12/9 win/loss record.
''Although they probably wouldn’t say the same about playing with me!'' Murray added.