Andy Murray is just weeks away from jumping into a new phase of his career as a professional tennis player. After starting the year ranked No. 1 in the world, a number of factors forced him to let go of all the luster he had accumulated up to that point. An early exit in Melbourne and an inconsistent first few months, on the hard court, quickly cast the doubt on his shoulders.
Upon this shaky foundation, Andy learned that his top drawer tennis cannot grow as in the past. A minor elbow injury in the spring was only the tip of the iceberg as Murray saw any dreams of resurrection being annihilated once a complex hip injury occurred.
Without an official match in five months, Andy Murray resides at a turning point in his career.
Andy Murray may struggle while readjusting his game
Ranked No. 16 in the world, Andy Murray will kick off his comeback campaign in Brisbane, Australia. Nadal and Dimitrov will be joining Murray. The event will stand as a warm-up for those potentially breathtaking battles at Melbourne Park. Moreover, it'll give a hint whether or not Murray's hip can sustain a great deal of effort.
January 2017 stood as a comeback party both for Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Two of the tennis titans, they went wild surpassing any type of expectations. The 2017 Australian Open ended in style with a memorable Federer vs Nadal final as the main course.
So, why not have a similar scenario but with different actors next year in January. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray kept an elevated level of tennis within the ATP circuit over the past few years. In a moment when Federer and Nadal were struggling with injuries, they were responsible for a high-quality show. And now, they are both on a comeback trajectory.
Andy Murray's comeback can still be a complete fail
From all that has been around the ATP circuit recently, the environment is changing. A new generation of young wolves is breaching through the old establishment and names like Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, Borna Coric, and Alexander Rublev are showing signs of disobedience.
Moreover, some names that have been around for years may not be done yet. Thus, Nishikori, Raonic, and lately Grigor Dimitrov are all aiming to break the Big Four monopoly.
Last time he walked onto the court to play in an official match, Andy Murray was the world's top-ranked male player. Now, he sits outside the top 10 and the possibility of Complete Failure shouldn't be written off.
It'll be interesting to see what novelty, if any, Andy Murray will bring to the table once the action resumes in January.