Andy Murray will be part of a significant contingent of ATP tennis stars aiming for a glorious comeback in 2018. This week, Nitto Atp Finals at O2 Arena in London ends an intriguing season in the ATP circuit, a year that had some of the old glory back in full flow. Fro next Monday on, the season of 2018 will be the spot to look after with about a month and a half left until the first lap in Australia.
Andy Murray will end the year ranked 16th in the world having won a single ATP 500 in 2017. Basically, the soon-to-be-ended year stands as his worse season since his rising to fame back in 2006 and 2007.
A grueling hip injury forced him to call it a season several months ago at Wimbledon.
Andy Murray's calendar for 2018 needs some adjustments
Andy Murray used to not think twice before embarking on a full calendar playing around 80 matches per year. But, that sort of routine tends to have unwanted consequences. Just look at Rafael Nadal and his unfortunate withdrawal from 2017 Nitto ATP Finals due to a knee injury. Playing an extended schedule took a painful toll and his issues may persist in 2018 too. In Murray's case, the lack of freshness fro the first part of 2017 streamed up from that grueling schedule of 2016, especially the last segment of it when Murray successfully chased down that elusive world No.
1 seat.
But, like any other human being, he won't get any younger. Instead, he could become a bit wiser in terms of competitive schedule. Judging by the latest developments in his personal life, he could use that extra time off to stick with his family more now that he has become a father for the second time.
How his 2018 schedule may look like
Andy Murray is set to begin next season in Brisbane, Australia. It would be the perfect warm-up and a bit of a change on his last year's calendar. In the past, he used the ATP 250 in Doha to kick-start his yearly bid. Moving forward, the first Grand Slam of the year awaits Murray to take some revenge after losing in the fourth round fo 2017 Australian Open.
If he will choose a shorter schedule he might skip Dubai to focus on Indian Wells and Miami, the closing parties of the first segment on hard. The clay-court swing of 2018 consist of three Masters 1000 events and the cherry on top, Roland Garros- the second Major of the year. Murray could skip at least one Masters, just enough to keep his body fresh for the French Open.
Perhaps the most significant part of the year, when the action shifts from clay to grass court players have little time to adjust. Murray could use the grass season especially the inspirational venue of Wimbledon to reignite the old glorious flame.
It's a bit unrealistic to skip about his schedule deeper into the season. The North American outdoor hard session and the Asian swing are way too far into the future. Moreover, the second part of the year's schedule will depend on how things will unfold during the first few months of 2018.
