Wimbledon 2024: Andy Murray to make fitness call, plus Swiatek and Djokovic in action – live

Andy Murray has played in the doubles at Wimbledon on only two previous occasions, with David Sherwood way back in 2005 when they fell in the first round, and in 2019 with Pierre Hugues Herbert, losing in the second round. Though he did win a silver medal in SW19 with Laura Robson in the mixed doubles at the London 2012 Olympics.

He and Jamie will start their campaign this year on Thursday.

It’s a measure of the man, and his tenacity and love for the sport, that Andy Murray is still up for the doubles with brother Jamie. Just as we always admired those old footballers that eked out the final years of their career in the lower divisions, and cricketers such as Marcus Trescothick he played on for their counties long after their international careers were over, there’s much to commend in that. Kevin Mitchell wrote about this eloquently at the weekend.

Andy Murray has been forced to withdraw from the singles draw at his final Wimbledon after he was unable to recover sufficiently from the back surgery he underwent 10 days before Wimbledon began.

“Unfortunately, despite working incredibly hard on his recovery since his operation just over a week ago, Andy has taken the very difficult decision not to play the singles this year. As you can imagine, he is extremely disappointed but has confirmed that he will be playing in the doubles with Jamie and looks forward to competing at Wimbledon for the last time,” Murray’s representatives said in a statement.

Murray’s preparations for his final Wimbledon had suffered a painful blow two weeks ago when he was forced to withdraw from Queen’s due to pain and numbness in his back and right leg. Murray soon underwent back surgery to remove a spinal cyst and he has been rushing to recover in time to compete in his scheduled first round match against Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic. Murray will, however compete in the doubles draw with his brother, Jamie.

The news we didn’t want to hear. Andy Murray’s injury has got the better of him and he’s out of the tournament, denying us a Wimbledon swansong in the slam he’s won twice.

More news imminently …

One match worth looking out for this morning involves the British No 5, Billy Harris, making his grand slam debut at last at the age of 29, having begun his career kipping in his van as he schlepped around Europe. He faces Jaume Munar of Spain first up on Court 15.

More on Harris here:

While we await Murray news and tennis live action, here’s some reports from yesterday, including wins for Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and more.

Morning everyone. Welcome to a day two on which the UK focus will inevitably and heavily be on Andy Murray and the will-he/won’t-he issue of his fitness to face Tomas Machac at teatime, or will his Wimbledon swansong be declared a non-starter? We’re on the alert for the imminent news on that.

In terms of definite live action. there’s plenty to get stuck into. Later, on the show courts, the defending women’s champion, Marketa Vondrousova, begins her title defence on Centre Court against the unseeded Spaniard Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro. Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek are also in action later.

But the other courts get swinging at 11am, and No 2 Court looks a decent one to have tickets for, with Jessica Pegula, the No 5 seed, in action first up against the US’s Ashlyn Krueger. Andrey Rublev, Jack Draper and Ons Jabeur are also in action there. Also on early are the always watchable Hubert Hurkacz, the seventh seed, who faces Radu Albot of Moldova, and an all-Australian match-up on Court 12 between Alex de Minaur, fresh from reaching the quarter-finals at the French Open, and James Duckworth.

It’s overcast but dry in SW19 with a slight risk of rain in mid-afternoon but hopefully nothing too disruptive. Don’t go anywhere.