FRENCH OPEN: Struggling Murray embraces challenge

The world number one goes into the French Open with just five wins under his belt since February.

Murray cut a frustrated figure in practice on Friday, shaking his head and throwing his racket, and made no attempt to disguise his difficulties in a thoughtful press conference.

He said: “The last few months have not been good, obviously. I haven’t played well. I had a few issues, as well. I need to accept that I’m struggling and then find a way to get through it.

“I will get through it, I’m sure of that. When that happens, I don’t know. Hopefully it happens in a few days. If it doesn’t, maybe it happens during the grass.

“But the only way to get through it is to work your way through it, keep working on your game, try and understand what’s not been going right.

“Although it’s very frustrating, you have to try to enjoy this part of what we do as well because the struggles are part of what make the good times so enjoyable.

“I need to enjoy my struggle a little bit just now and that will help me get through it quicker, I believe.”

Illness and injury have disrupted Murray’s season and contributed to a lack of rhythm, and the Scot has again been under the weather on the eve of this tournament.

The 30-year-old was unable to practise on Monday and has a lingering cough but insisted he will be ready for his first-round match against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.

Murray was diagnosed with shingles on his return home from the Australian Open and was laid low by a virus in March before having to pull out of the Miami Open with an elbow injury.

He said: “It’s been frustrating, obviously, because it’s the third time this year where I’ve missed days or been in bed for a few days.

“To be honest, it should happen more really, considering the amount that we travel and stuff, how long the season is. I have been lucky with that over the last couple of years.

“So maybe they have just come in a small space of time. But I feel okay now. I will be all good when the tournament starts.”