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Self-deprecating and insightful, Andy Murray sparkles on TV debut as Wimbledon pundit

Andy Murray joined Tim Henman in the BBC studio on Tuesday - bbc
Andy Murray joined Tim Henman in the BBC studio on Tuesday - bbc

The sight of Andy Murray sitting in Sue Barker’s BBC studio in a suit alongside fellow former British No 1 Tim Henman may have had fans wincing on Tuesday.

The two-time Wimbledon champion being relegated to the pundits desk of ex-players is not a prospect many will be inviting just yet. But if he could not grace Centre Court this year, at least his appearance at SW19 in a broadcasting capacity was entertaining.

Murray, who withdrew from Wimbledon with fitness concerns following surgery in January, said his decision not to play was “one of the best decisions I’ve made”.

“I was really close,” he said. “I was here practising playing sets and was desperate to play. That’s why I think it was such a good decision – because the emotions start to take over.”

He said he felt much more comfortable in his practice on the hard courts, and expects to make his grand slam return at the US Open in August.

Beyond his own injury, he was as self-deprecating as ever, saying they should put the question of who the British public thought was more boring out of him and Henman to a poll.

The former world No 1 also bantered about the possibility of his brother Jamie playing in the doubles on Centre Court over Roger Federer, Henman being a “wine snob” at his wedding and – of all things – Love Island. He blamed teenage British player Katie Swan, who is signed to his sport agency, and his wife Kim for his watching the reality TV show, admitting “I have been watching it, not every night”.

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Alongside the laughs, Murray was everything you would want from a player-turned-pundit – giving insightful analysis alongside intimate insider information of both the women’s and men’s tour.

On Wednesday, the 31-year-old will swap the studio for the commentary box. A wry sense of wit and unending knowledge of the tournament mean a future on a studio sofa could look bright for Murray – but here’s hoping it will come later, rather than sooner.