Murray and Venus handed wildcard entries

LONDON: Andy Murray, who took the first tentative steps of his comeback by defeating Benoît Paire at the Queen's Club to reach the second round, has been announced as one of the initial recipients of a Wimbledon wildcard.

The two-times champion, who played just his third ATP singles match of the year in London on Tuesday, is ranked down at 124, outside the cut-off for direct qualification.

Murray's last appearance in singles at the All England Club was in 2017, when his hip problems first surfaced, although he did play men's doubles and mixed doubles two years ago. The five-times champion Venus Williams and the Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz have also been given wildcards in the main draw.

Wimbledon's chief executive, Sally Bolton, said that as things stand, the All England Club is expecting Naomi Osaka to compete in the tournament which begins on June 28. (Agencies)

Also Read: Andy Murray withdraws from Miami Open

Also watch: