Murray calls for more mixed-gender events on main tours

[July 30, 2020]  (Reuters) - Tennis is "missing a trick" by not including more team events involving both men and women on the main tours, three-times Grand Slam winner Andy Murray has said.

Mixed doubles is currently played only at the four Grand Slams on the professional tennis circuit.

"I think sports miss a bit of a trick with this stuff," said Murray, who is taking part in the Battle of the Brits exhibition featuring male and female players.

"The Hopman Cup, for example, was a brilliant event in my opinion. The players enjoyed it. I played there a bunch of times and I loved it."

The inaugural ATP Cup men's team competition took the Hopman Cup's Australian Open warm-up slot in 2020 but organisers have said it will return.

"Putting match-ups in tennis like Serena Williams and Roger Federer on the same court, it is so brilliant for our sport," Murray told British media.

"We are able to do that in tennis and we should embrace it a little bit more, not necessarily every single week but at times it would be great. I would like to see Rafa (Nadal) on the court with some of the top female players.

"When I watched Roger and Serena playing, it was great. They were into it and I'm sure they enjoyed it as well."

Murray said there was opportunities for other sports to embrace mixed-gender events.

Britain's Andy Murray in action during his match against Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor REUTERS/Susana Vera

"Golf is another sport where I think it would be interesting to see a mixed Ryder Cup event," he said.

"Again it's a sport where they are able to do it and they just miss out a little bit. I do think people really enjoy watching it, and the players like it too."

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Peter Rutherford)

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