Murray Pulls Out of Monte Carlo, Munich Due to Ankle Injury

 Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
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Murray Pulls Out of Monte Carlo, Munich Due to Ankle Injury

 Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Andy Murray, of Great Britain, celebrates winning a game against Tomas Machac, of Czech Republic, in their men's third round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)

Andy Murray will miss the Monte Carlo Masters and Munich Open next month as he recovers from a severe ankle injury sustained during his exit from the Miami Open, the Briton's team announced on Friday.

The 36-year-old rolled his ankle in the deciding set of his 5-7 7-5 7-6(5) defeat by Czech Tomas Machac in southern Florida last Sunday and had said that he would be out for an "extended period" on the sidelines with ruptured ligaments.

"Following consultation with his team and medical experts, Andy Murray has taken the decision to miss the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters and BMW Open Munich," a statement from his team read.

"At this stage, it is still not clear how long Andy will be out of action, and he is continuing to review options with his medical team.

"Obviously this is disappointing news for Andy and he has reiterated his desire to get back on court as soon as possible."

Former world number one and three-times Grand Slam champion Murray, who returned after hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, had previously said he did not plan to "play much past this summer" but hoped to compete at another Olympics.

He had also said he hoped to play at the French Open, which starts at Roland Garros on May 26.

Wimbledon, where Murray has twice been champion, will begin on July 1 and the Paris Games get underway later that month.

The Monte Carlo Masters will be held April 7-14, and the Munich Open April 15-21.



Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)

CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Bakr said on Friday the Kingdom’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is part of integrated and comprehensive efforts to build a distinguished future for the sports sector in the Kingdom.

This will help reach the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in achieving sports excellence and building a vital and stimulating sports sector for young Saudi men and women.

Al-Bakr said the participation reflects the support of the country’s wise leadership for the sports sector, as well as the efforts made by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee to develop the sector under the supervision of Sports Minister and Chairman of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal.

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program, which is “achieving excellence in several sports regionally and globally” by launching several initiatives on supporting and empowering Saudi athletes and contributing to increasing the number of athletes participating in the Olympic Games.

Since its launch in 2018, the program has offered many initiatives to develop the sports sector, Al-Bakr said. He cited the Elite Athletes Development Program, which trained and empowered Saudi players participating in the Paris Olympics, in addition to initiatives concerned with supporting and empowering women to contribute to the sports system, the Saudi Games, and building sports academies, including the establishment of Mahd Academy.

The program seeks to discover, develop, and support sports talents with the aim of creating a sports generation capable of competing in and representing the Kingdom in various regional and international events, he added.