Carlos Moya Urges Caution Over The Return Of Djokovic And Murray

The return of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray should not be compared to that of their rivals, according to former world No.1 Carlos Moya.

Both players haven’t played a match on the tour since Wimbledon due to injury problems. Djokovic has been sidelined due to a persistent elbow injury caused by ‘over-playing.’ Meanwhile, Murray has struggled with a hip problem since SW19. The Brit tried to stage a comeback at the US Open, but he pulled out of the tournament two days before the start.

The injured duo is hoping to emulate two of their other rivals when they return to the sport.  At the start of 2017, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal began their seasons on the comeback from injury and both enjoyed a successful year. Winning all four grand slams between them and claiming the top two spots on the Emirates rankings.

Speaking about the return of the two players, Moya believes it will be a boost to the sport with more players in contention of righting to win the biggest titles. Djokovic currently has 68 ATP titles under his belt and Murray’s tally stands at 45.

“The fact that they will return is going to be good for tennis and for the spectator.” Moya told Mundo Deportivo.
“The more players there are with options to win the important tournaments, the better for everyone.”

On the other hand Moya, who is the coach of Nadal, has played down the chances of the two having instant success when they return. Arguing that they shouldn’t be compared to the other members of the ‘big four.’

“You never know what will happen, they (Nadal and Federer) have done it both, who are two greats of the sport, but it will not be as easy as it may seem.” Moya said about their comeback attempts.

In 2018, Djokovic is set to start the year in Doha at the Qatar Open. Aiming to win the tournament for the third consecutive year. As for Murray, he will kick-off his campaign at the Brisbane International.

How successful were Federer’s and Nadal’s 2017 comebacks?