Andy Murray collected three Grand Slam titles in a remarkable career, but he believes one achievement stands above them all in difficulty.

The British great ended a long wait for a men’s major champion from Great Britain at the 2012 US Open, where he beat Novak Djokovic in the final. That victory made him the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift a major trophy.

Murray’s breakthrough followed four previous defeats in Grand Slam finals. He later added another runners-up finish at the 2013 Australian Open before finally ending the 77-year wait for a home champion at Wimbledon, defeating Milos Raonic in the final.

He would go on to win Wimbledon again in 2016 and has said that missing out there would have left him with lasting regret. Speaking on the latest ATP Tour’s Aces No 1 Club feature, he said: “If I hadn’t won Wimbledon, certainly from a British sporting public perspective, my career would have been a failure,” he said on the latest ATP Tour’s Aces No 1 Club feature.

“The main feeling at the time was just relief. I wouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life thinking about, you know, what if, what could have been.”

Murray’s era overlapped with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who dominated the No 1 position in the ATP Rankings. Yet Murray still rose to world No 1 after winning four straight titles at the end of 2016. His defining moment came at the Paris Masters, where he became only the 26th man to reach the top of the rankings.

He then secured the year-end No 1 spot by winning the ATP Finals.

For Murray, that climb to the top outweighs the challenge of winning a major.

“To get to No 1 in the world when you’re surrounded by, you know, the greatest players of all time, that’s 52 weeks of really, really hard work and top performances to get there.

And I would argue it is a lot harder to achieve than winning a Grand Slam.”

Murray’s 2016 season also included titles at Wimbledon, the ATP Finals, the Shanghai Masters, the Paris Masters, Queen’s Club Championship, China Open and Vienna Open, plus singles gold at the Rio Games, which did not award ranking points. He also finished runner-up at the Australian Open, French Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open and Cincinnati Open that year. He retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Goran Ivanisevic has offered a striking assessment of Arthur Fils, praising the Frenchman’s level and insisting his ceiling is among the very best in the sport.

Fils brought Ivanisevic on board in February, soon after returning from a serious back injury that had ruled him out since August of the previous year. The move linked the 22-year-old with one of tennis’s most respected coaches, a man who helped Novak Djokovic collect nine Grand Slam titles between 2019 and 2024.

Ivanisevic’s own resume carries weight. The Croatian won Wimbledon in 2001, climbed to world No 2, and later guided Marin Cilic to his only major title at the 2014 US Open.

Fils has backed up the optimism with results in 2026. He owns a 23-8 record, lifted the Barcelona Open, finished runner-up in Doha, and reached the semi-finals in Miami and Madrid. His run was interrupted by a hip injury in Rome, which forced him to miss Roland Garros before he came back at Wimbledon.

The Frenchman reached a career-high ranking of 14th in February 2025 and is now 23rd. Even so, his standing in the race to Turin remains strong. Despite missing both the Australian Open and French Open in 2026, he is 10th in the Race to Turin, the season-long system that decides the eight qualifiers for the ATP Finals.

Speaking to Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti, Ivanisevic was unequivocal about Fils’ prospects and said he is “definitely a top five player.”

“I’m super happy, he’s exactly the type of player I wanted to work with,” said Ivanisevic.

“He’s young, he’s one of the biggest talents, someone whose game is enjoyable, he’s attractive, he’s powerful.

“It’s a shame that at the moment when he was in shape he had problems with injuries.

“We found the right people to solve it. He played Wimbledon, it could have been better, but it was great that he played at all.

“I think he’s capable of entering the top 10 by the end of the year, and he’s definitely a top five player. As long as he’s healthy.”

Mark Philippoussis has spoken warmly about Carlos Alcaraz, saying the sport is better with the Spaniard in it as the world No 3 continues to manage a complicated injury setback.

Spanish newspaper La Verdad reported last week that Alcaraz is aiming to return at the Cincinnati Open, which starts on 13 August. The report said his camp is concentrating on getting him to the tournament in the best possible shape and added: “The wrist is healthy, completely healed and they are gradually increasing the training load.”

Alcaraz has not played since picking up a right wrist injury in his opening-round win at the Barcelona Open more than three months ago. Since then, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has missed the clay-court Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, along with the French Open and Wimbledon. He will also sit out the next Masters event on the schedule, the Canadian Open in Montreal, which begins on 1 August.

Speaking in an exclusive interview at Wimbledon, Philippoussis said he is hopeful the recovery is handled carefully and that Alcaraz can return without rushing the process.

“Look, I hope he comes back healthy. The tennis world needs him,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist, who won 11 ATP Tour titles.

“I love watching him, he’s incredible for the game. A Grand Slam champion, he’s been No 1 in the world.

“And I just hope he can get healthy. Of course, he’s going to be someone that’s not going to rush the process.

“But also, when it’s to do with the wrist, it’s complicated. So, I’m sure he’s doing everything he can, and hopefully he can be back soon.”

Richard Krajicek also recently offered support for Alcaraz’s return, saying the former world No 4 should regain his full level once the injury settles.