Andy Murray will undergo a sweat test in a final bid to address his cramping worries ahead of the US Open, which begins Monday.
The 2012 US Open champion, who ranked 47th, will not be participating in this year’s tournament, meaning he is likely to draw one of the tournament’s favorites in the opening round.
Murray has weathered hip, back and knee injuries in recent years, while hopes of reaching the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017 seem slim given the cramping since. landed in the United States in mid-July.
I’m testing sweat under these conditions to see if anything changes in that respect since sports drinks and electrolytes are specially made in my sweat tests, but I haven’t. perform sweat tests for many years.
“From a physical aspect, I’m a bit frustrated right now because I’ve been training really well after my physical matches now compared to last year for example. I’m in a much better place in terms of condition. my left groin and lower back – it’s really good,” said the 35-year-old.
“It’s not necessary for me to take anti-inflammatory drugs for games and tournaments and things that haven’t happened a lot in the last few years so it’s been really positive but at the same time I have cramps.
“Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been lucky in some matches, like against [Stan] Wawrinka I was lucky enough to get through that.
“Against Mikael [Ymer] in Washington it wasn’t good because I could barely play in the third set and obviously what happened in the game against Cam [Norrie] in Cincinnati.
“Physically I’m feeling pretty good in terms of discomfort and pain and everything but then I’ve had cramps the last couple of weeks so it’s been uncomfortable.
“I’ve had cramps before but intermittently so I’m just trying to understand and drill down into that.”
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Murray recently hinted that he might just stop playing tennis instead of announcing a day of retirement from the sport.
Murray and his team hope to solve the problem of why cramps continue to occur when he is well hydrated, conditioned, stressed, and dieting under the microscope.
He explains: “I’m testing sweat in these conditions to see if anything changes in that respect because sports drinks and electrolytes are specially made in my sweat tests. , but I haven’t done the sweat test for quite a few years.
“I don’t know if anything has changed in that respect but we’re going to try and get to the bottom of it, because let’s say if it’s purely due to hydration, it’s obvious after I had cramps like in Washington, I made sure I didn’t get dehydrated in the next games, and if it was food related I made sure all those boxes were checked.
“It’s not as simple as changing how much I’ve been drinking or what I’m drinking, so I need to have some answers.”
Murray was defeated in three tight sets by fellow Brit Cameron Norrie in Cincinnati after suffering a cramp late in the match
Murray believes his game isn’t consistent enough this year with the former world No. 1 failing to win an ATP title for the first time since 2019, despite reaching the finals in Sydney. and Stuttgart.
His form on harsh US matches is not good for his chances of entering the US Open, where he will be hoping for a decent draw on Thursday.
“From a tennis perspective, I’ve had some good wins and some tough losses. It didn’t quite happen at one of the big events, so that’s disappointing,” he said.
“It’s just not consistent enough and consistency is important throughout the year. You can do it for an odd game or two but if it’s not the same for large parts of the year you won’t win. Win as many matches as you want.”
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Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith discusses Murray’s return to the team and why Norrie could be the best player in the world
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Murray also believes this year’s Grand Slam is the most “open” Grand Slam in years, saying: “I would imagine some of the guys you’d expect to go deep. [Daniil] Medvedev, Rafa [Nadal], [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Stefanos] Tsitsipas – these guys.
“I think there will be an opportunity for Cam [Norrie]. He’s been very consistent against those below him for most of this year. He certainly has a good chance of running. When it’s hot and humid that can help his game and the pitches here go pretty fast.
“Certainly the heat and humidity is a positive for him.”
Andy Murray is wearing The Drive Collection from his signature AMC event at this year’s US Open, created to bring a new standard in tennis performance clothing. See the kit at www.castore.com/collections/amc.
