Will he appear at Wimbledon or won’t he? That’s the question tennis fans are asking about Andy Murray with just two months left until The Championships.
Whether Andy Murray plays at Wimbledon or doesn’t, fans could easily ask who will replace the tennis champion. Murray talked publicly about retirement in January. While recent reports show Andy Murray is considering a comeback, it’s clear the end is near.
For years, Murray has been talked about as a member of the “Big Four” also comprising Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are getting on in years too, but none of them has mentioned the R-word. If this is the end for Andy Murray, could anyone possibly fill the void and provide genuine competition to the three other big dogs?
Betting Odds Hint at Next Men’s Tennis Star
A look at the betting odds for this year’s French Open and Wimbledon tournaments gives away a few hints. Not surprisingly, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic are first and second in 2019 French Open betting, at 10/11 and 21/10 respectively, according to top online bookmakers like Genting Bet and bet365. Federer is also in the top five for French Open odds, but we’re most interested in the other members of the top five. Dominic Thiem is paying 17/2 and fellow young gun Alexander Zverev is paying 16/1.
Check out the Genting betting offer on Zverev at Wimbledon too. According to Genting’s latest 2019 Wimbledon odds, Djokovic is the 6/4 favorite, followed by Federer, 4/1, Nadal, 6/1, and Zverev, 12/1. Claycourt specialist Thiem is back at 50/1, alongside another possible Murray replacement: Kyle Edmund. Incredibly, Murray is paying 25/1 to recover from injury and win his final Wimbledon.
Andy Murray Replacement Contenders: Zverev, Thiem, Edmund
It’s no secret that Alexander Zverev is the next big thing in tennis. The 22-year-old German is ranked third in the world, right behind Djokovic and Nadal. Critics will point out that Zverev is yet to make it past a grand slam quarter final, whereas Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic had all won their first grand slam by the age of 22. On the other hand, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic didn’t have to play against older versions of themselves. Andy Murray didn’t make a grand slam semi-final until just after his 21st birthday and he didn’t win a slam until the 2012 US Open, when he was 25 years old. It’s only a matter of time before Zverev wins his first grand slam.
If a breakthrough performance in his early 20s is any indication, Dominic Thiem could also be one of tennis’s next big things. Now aged 25, the Austrian made it to last year’s French Open final. Let’s be honest, had he been playing anyone other than 11-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal, Thiem may well have won the trophy at Roland Garros. Nadal is slowing down, and Thiem could soon get another chance to win a grand slam.
He hasn’t yet cracked the top 10, but no article about an Andy Murray replacement would be complete without mentioning British tennis’s next big thing: Kyle Edmund. 24-year-old Edmund made his first grand slam semi-final at last year’s Australian Open, rising to the world number 14 ranking in the process. Murray and Edmund have spent a lot of time on the court together, with Murray once commenting that “We know each other’s game pretty well.” If anyone has seen what it takes to become Andy Murray, it is Kyle Edmund.
