Jamie Murray will prepare for teaming up with his brother Andy in the Wimbledon doubles by running this week’s Cinch Championship at Queen’s Club.
But the new tournament director, 38, plans to keep on playing longer than his fellow double Olympic champion.
Jamie, who suffered an elbow injury earlier this season, admits that the decision to take the managerial role is to prepare for life after his on-court career.
“I am not going to play forever,” said the seven-time Grand Slam champion. “Given the circumstances where I am at, my age and everything, it felt like I couldn’t really pass it up. It is exciting to do something a bit different and get stuck into a new challenge. My stuff is mainly player side.”
Taking the role ruled him out of playing at Queen’s Club – and his regular partner Michael Venus has paired up with Neal Skupski for the grasscourt season.
This left Jamie, who has two Wimbledon mixed doubles titles, available to play with Andy in probably the younger brother’s final appearance at their home Grand Slam. But the doubles specialist is not ready to call time on his playing career.
“It depends on a few things,” said the world No.24. “Rankings for sure. Enjoying travelling, I think. Injuries, that sort of stuff. I could see myself playing for another two or three years for sure. I mean ob guys are going into their 40s now. I still enjoy it.”
Andy has career on-court earnings of $64,633,780 on the ATP Tour compared to $6,620,288 for Jamie.
The older brother added: “All these events keep getting better and better and the investment into them has been crazy over the last 10 or 15 years. It is fun to come and compete here whether it is at the French Open or Queen’s or wherever. Everything is getting elevated all the time. And once you finish, you know that you are not going back to it.
“It is difficult I imagine to recreate some of those emotions and feelings in a different job. In that aspect, I want to try and play as long as I can.”
A women’s event will be staged at Queen’s Club next summer for the first time since 1973 but Jamie Murray said running both events would be difficult.
“The issue for me would be that they need me the week before which would be the second week of the French Open,” he said. “I would say that would be a red flag on my part – or their part if they want me to do the women’s event as well. But let’s see what happens. I haven’t even done the event anyway. Maybe I balls it up. “That is enough of your time here. Get back to playing!” We will see.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk