Andy Murray will continue his singles comeback at the 2019 Winston-Salem Open. The former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion has accepted a wild card into the final event of the US Open Series, and will be playing in just his second singles tournament since January hip-resurfacing surgery.
"It'll be my first time playing [in Winston-Salem] and I've spoken to quite a few of the players who have played there and have heard they've got great facilities there for practice and the matches," Murray said at a Thursday press conference. "What I need now is matches. I want to get myself back on the singles court and keep testing myself. Winston-Salem is a perfect place for me to do that.
"I know from speaking to players who have played there that the site is great," he continued. "Good facilities for practice, gym, the weather will be good from what I've seen. It's another step for me in the comeback and we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I can have a good run."
The 2016 year-end ATP No. 1, Murray won his first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open in 2012, followed by two Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016 in his native Great Britain. The Scot has also finished as a finalist in eight Grand Slams. In addition, Murray is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in singles, winning in 2012 and 2016.
He holds 45 ATP Tour-level singles titles and has an overall record of 663-192. Murray joins Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick as the former world No. 1s who have played at the Winston-Salem Open. Hewitt played in 2011, while Roddick competed in 2011 and 2012.
The 32-year-old is currently ranked No. 324 because of inactivity. He underwent a second right hip surgery on 28 January and missed five months. His surgery was similar to what Bob Bryan also experienced—and made his return by playing doubles at Queen’s Club in London where he won the title with Feliciano Lopez just before Wimbledon. They are in the doubles quarterfinals this week in Cincinnati. He also recently played doubles with his brother in Washington.
“We’re thrilled that Andy Murray is joining the playing field for next week’s Winston-Salem Open,” said tournament director Bill Oakes. “Andy remains one of the fiercest competitors in tennis. Our playing field for this year’s tournament is phenomenal, and we look forward to seeing exciting fans beginning at qualifying rounds tomorrow.”
Tickets to the Winston-Salem Open are available online at WinstonSalemOpen.com/Tickets.
The 2019 Winston-Salem Open will be held Aug. 17-24 at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex adjacent to BB&T Field. The official Winston-Salem Open app is available to download now in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. For more information on how to download the app, please visit WinstonSalemOpen.com.