"Questions need to be asked to FIFA whether it's the right place to host a major event like that" - Andy Murray on Qatar hosting 2022 FIFA World Cup

Just before the 2022 Australian Open began in January, Andy Murray's agent revealed that the player had rejected a lucrative offer to play exhibition matches in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on moral grounds.

Saudi Arabia and a few other countries in the Middle East are known for their human rights violations and inequality among men and women. However, they continue to host prestigious sporting events from time to time. One such event — the 2022 FIFA World Cup — is about to kick start in Qatar on November 20.

Speaking to Sky News recently, former World No. 1 Murray was asked if he would like to offer any advice to football players reaching Qatar. The three-time Grand Slam champion stated that the athletes had no role to play in the selection of the host country and that they worked really hard to play in the World Cup. However, he also suggested that if anyone was to be questioned, it was the tournament organizers.

"That's a difficult question. I've also competed in and played tournaments in Qatar and Doha that are on our tour. I don't think it's necessarily the athletes' responsibility where their events are. I'm sure for a lot of the players who are going there, they have worked their whole lives to be involved in a World Cup," Murray said.

"I think those questions need to be asked to FIFA and the people that are organizing these major events, whether it's the right thing to do or not. I hope it goes well, but yeah, I know there's been a lot of questions whether it's the right place to host a major event like that," he added.

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"It's not as physically demanding as tennis and maybe less forgiving" - Andy Murray on pickleball

Andy Murray playing padel at an event in London

Pickleball is the latest racquet sport to gain popularity, especially in America and Europe. While tennis fans, in particular, are not entirely impressed, the sport has found support from players like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Andy Murray.

In his interview with Sky News, the Brit said that pickleball was a great game to play with friends and that the skills of one racquet sport were transferable to another.

"I describe it as a mix of squash and tennis," Andy Murray said. "It's a very social game, it's played mainly in doubles. I played the game for the first time when I was 15, in Spain. It's a great game to try and play with your friends. It's not as physically demanding as tennis and maybe a bit less forgiving. If you're picking up any racquet sport at a young age, working on your hand-eye coordination and things like that, it's going to be transferable to other racquet sports."