"On its way to be the worst RG edition of history" - Tennis fans react to Andy Murray withdrawing from French Open 2023

Andy Murray has announced his decision to pull out of the 2023 French Open. Murray's withdrawal has surprised many in the tennis world, given that the Scot recently clinched his first title (a Challenger) since 2019.

Murray was looking in great shape to play his first French Open since 2020. The former World No. 1 lifted the trophy at Aix-en-Provence last week, and reached the final of the Qatar Open earlier in the year, to reach a ranking of No. 42.

Last month, Murray even expressed his desire to play the French Open if his body was in good condition. However, the Scot's mindset has changed since then. Murray has opted to withdraw from the French Open to prioritize the grass-court season in the build-up to the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Andy Murray's withdrawal has drawn mixed reactions from tennis fans. While some have supported his decision to keep his body intact for the grass season, others have expressed disappointment.

"Andy Murray is not playing the French Open 2023. Somewhere in the world right now, Novak Djokovic just let out a huge sigh of relief," a fan commented.

"Can we just cancel roland garros at this point," an upset fan wrote.

"Probably for the best, but that’s kinda sad…," tennis journalist Jose Morgado wrote.

"Fair enough. But a poor Wimbledon and that’s it for Andy. He’s been quite magnificent though," a fan's comment read.

"Didn’t believe him when he said he was gonna play rg and I was correct lol," another fan tweeted.

Here are some more reactions from tennis fans on Murray's withdrawal:

Andy Murray's history at the French Open

Andy Murray

Andy Murray has enjoyed modest success at the French Open over the years. His best performance there is a runner-up finish in 2016; the Scot lost to Novak Djokovic in the final 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4.

On his way to the final that year, Murray overcame the likes of No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka (semifinal), No. 9 seed Richard Gasquet (quarterfinal) and No. 15 seed John Isner (fourth round).

Apart from the 2016 campaign, Murray's best results at the French Open include semifinal appearances in 2017 (l. Stan Wawrinka), 2015 (l. Novak Djokovic), 2014 (l. Rafael Nadal), and 2011 (l. Rafael Nadal). He has also reached the quarterfinals of the tournament twice, in 2009 (l. Fernando Gonzalez) and 2012 (l. David Ferrer)

Since 2017, Andy Murray has only made one appearance at the French Open. He participated in 2020 after getting a wildcard but his stay in Paris was a short one as he lost to No. 16 seed Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round.