ANDY MURRAY is gritting his teeth and once more facing up to the “brutal reality” of top-level sport.
The reigning Wimbledon champion is nursing a sore hip and was forced to pull out of an exhibition event last week as a precaution.
World No 1 Murray has never gone into SW19 as badly prepared as this year.
But he is not the first player to start a Grand Slam with fitness worries.
Murray, 30, said: “Tennis is a tough sport and the demands we put on our bodies on a daily basis are huge.
“It’s rare to find a player that is 100 per cent fit but that’s the brutal reality of most elite sport.
“It’s about managing your body and your training as best you can, so that when the time comes you’re as ready as possible to perform.
“Players going into a tournament with injuries and niggles is nothing new.
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“Over the years I have entered plenty of tournaments with less than ideal preparation, you just need to accept that it will be the case sometimes and find a way.
“My preparation on the grass hasn’t been great but there’s nothing I can do to change that now. The standard on the tour is high right now, so you can’t afford to look too far ahead, it’s one match at a time.”
Murray’s defeat by world No 90 Jordan Thompson in the first round of the Aegon Championships at Queen’s last month was proof of that.
Aussie Thompson, 23, had already played eight matches on grass before taking on Muzza in his first contest back on the surface — and he took full advantage of the Scot’s off-day.
Murray added: “Queen’s has generally been good for my Wimbledon preparation over the years.
“I’ve played some good matches and finals there but I have also lost early there and gone on to do well.
“The planning and preparation hasn’t gone as I would have liked but I need to put that behind me and focus.”
Murray’s hope at Wimbledon will be that, just like at the French Open, he can build match fitness and momentum in the opening week from an unpromising starting position.
He was only a tie-break away from making the final in Paris and head coach Ivan Lendl is adamant the practices in the run up to Wimbledon were a lot better than before Roland Garros until the hip problem emerged.
First-round opponent Alexander Bublik may be a lucky loser but there was nothing flukey about his win over Lucas Pouille at the Australian Open.
It was in Melbourne that 35-year-old Roger Federer made his spectacular return by beating fellow legend Rafael Nadal, who went on to win an historic tenth French Open title at the age of 31.
Their resurgence, coupled with the rise of youngersters like Dominic Thiem, 23, and Sascha Zverev, 20, has set up an intriguing Wimbledon.
Murray said: “The tour is incredibly competitive just now and there’s a lot of good, young guys coming through — big-serving guys, who are going into matches with no fear and that’s great for the sport.
“Personally I love that, I see it as a challenge. It’s motivating as it means I have to keep improving all the time.”
The Scot has a fight on his hands to retain his No 1 status after Wimbledon, which puts into perspective the long reigns enjoyed by Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the past.
Muzza said: “People often ask me about the pressure of being No 1 but it’s not something I think about.
“I’ve always tried to focus on each match and not get too caught up in looking ahead.
“So far this year has been difficult, with injuries and illness.
“All I’m thinking about is getting back to winning ways.
“I’ll give it everything I have over the next two weeks.”
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