Andy Murray confirmed for Queen's Club Championships, raising hopes of Wimbledon return

Former world No 1 is a record five-time champion at the London tournament

Andy Murray has been practising in Rome during the Italian Open as he continues his latest comeback. Getty Images

Former world No 1 Andy Murray will play in next month's Queen's Club Championships in London in the lead-up to Wimbledon, organisers said on Monday.

The 33-year-old Murray, who has won the ATP 500 event a record five times, last played in March at the Rotterdam Open, where he was beaten by Russian Andrey Rublev in the round of 16. He then pulled out of the Miami Open with a groin injury.

The Scot, a three-time Grand Slam champion but has fallen to No 123 in the world rankings, has endured a stuttering comeback since undergoing career-saving hip surgery in January 2019, a combination of additional injuries and the coronavirus-enforced lockdown limiting his time on court.

Murray then contracted Covid-19 before he was due to fly out to Melbourne for this year's Australian Open.

"It's been such a difficult time for everyone and it'll be great to play in front of home fans in Britain again," Murray, who has also won a doubles crown at the event partnering Feliciano Lopez, said in a statement.

"The tournament at Queen's has always meant a lot to me – it's where I won my first ATP match, I've won the singles at Queen's more than any other in my career and I'll never forget our doubles title in 2019. I can't wait to get back out there."

Also in action will be British No 1 Dan Evans, who has climbed to a career-high ranking of No 26 after reaching the Monte Carlo semi-finals and beating Novak Djokovic along the way.

"I know how lucky we've been to be able to still play the sport in recent months, it's been a good year for me on court, and I'm really looking forward to the grass over the next couple of months," Evans said.

The tournament at Queen's will accommodate about 25 per cent of its full capacity, with strict safety protocols in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It starts on June 14, two weeks before Wimbledon.

Murray's participation at Queen's raises hopes that the two-time Wimbledon champion could make a return to the All England Club. He is currently in Rome, where he has booked practice courts and is training with fellow ATP Tour players.