Andy Murray handed difficult Bordeaux Challenger draw as Rafael Nadal turns down wild card ahead of French Open
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Published 15/05/2023 at 08:28 GMT
Andy Murray will be looking for another positive week on the ATP Challenger Tour this week. The former world No. 1 lifted the title in Aix-en-Provence earlier this month, but has been given a tricky draw in Bordeaux. Rafael Nadal will not be at the tournament after apparently turning down a wild card, with the French Open set to start on May 28 and doubt over his participation.
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Andy Murray has been handed a difficult draw as he continues his French Open preparations by playing on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Murray, who celebrated his 36th birthday on May 15, ended his four-year wait for a title by winning a Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence earlier this month.
But he didn’t carry the momentum through to the Italian Open as he was beaten in his first match by Fabio Fognini.
He has now dropped back down to the second-tier Challenger Tour to play the BNP Paribas Primrose in Bordeaux in a bid to get more clay action under his belt - and potentially win more ranking points - ahead of the French Open.
Murray moved up to No. 42 in the world following his title win in Aix-en-Provence, and another strong week could put him in contention to be seeded for the French Open.
Murray faces a tricky start in Bordeaux, though, as he could open against fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka.
Murray is seeded second at the tournament so has a bye in the opening round, while Wawrinka, who lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round in Rome, starts against a qualifier.
If Murray beats Wawrinka he could then meet world No. 50 Ugo Humbert.
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Third seed Richard Gasquet is also on Murray’s half of the draw while Jan-Lennard Struff, who made the Madrid Open final recently, is the top seed.
Rafael Nadal will not be at the event after he turned down a wild card.
Nadal has not played since the Australian Open due to injury and is a major doubt to defend his French Open title.
Bordeaux tournament director Jean-Baptiste Perlant says he invited Nadal to play the event but his agent Carlos Costa declined.
“I offered him one of the wild cards,” Perlant told L’Equipe.
“Carlos Costa very kindly replied that Nadal was continuing his preparation at home in Manacor, that he was not ready and was in a race against time to be ready for Roland-Garros.”
The French Open starts on May 28.
Murray was hailed as a “role model for the younger generation” by tennis legend Boris Becker after his last win on the Challenger Tour.
Speaking on the Eurosport tennis podcast Das Gelbe vom Ball, Becker said: “The question is: Why does he play a Challenger tournament? Because he simply knows that even an Andy Murray needs match experience and the victories on the court.
“Now he comes to the unloved red clay - I know what he's talking about - and doesn't mind going to the Challenger. And what does he do? He wins it against Tommy Paul, who is also ranked in the top 20 in the world.
“He actually does everything you would advise a junior player to do - as a former world No. 1, two-time Wimbledon winner and decorated Scot - because he knows he has to stay in match mode.
“That's an absolute role model for the younger generation."
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