Murray adamant that time remains on his side

The Scot’s attempt to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a grand slam singles title has become one of the nation’s biggest sporting sagas, but optimism appears to be waning in some quarters.

Murray is now 25, no longer one of tennis’s young guns, but Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal appear more invincible than ever at the major tournaments, sharing the last nine slams between them.

Then there is Roger Federer, still hungry for more titles to add to his record tally of 16, while the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro are closing on Murray.

Only four players older than the world No 4 have become first-time slam champions since 2000 – Gaston Gaudio and Albert Costa at the French Open, Thomas Johansson in Australia and most famously Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001 at the age of 29.

But Murray believes the trend in tennis is towards players reaching their peak later, and he sees no reason why he cannot be the same.

He said: “I just play, and I also think tennis has changed a lot. I know a lot about the history of the game and it has completely changed.

“When I first made it into the top 10 there was me, Djokovic, Nadal, who were all 18 or 19 years old.

“Now there are maybe two or three guys under 20 in the top 100. The average age of the top players is much, much older than it used to be because the game has become much more physical.

“It has changed a lot so whereas before guys were playing their best tennis when they were younger, I think it is starting to happen now that guys are playing their best when they’re older.”

The lack of teenagers making the same breakthrough Murray, Nadal and Djokovic did has been a big talking point in the game, but the next generation are finally making their mark.

Bernard Tomic, the only teenager in the top 100, reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year and is seeded 20th this time while big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov are two to watch out for.

Raonic is one of several dangerous outsiders lurking in Murray’s section of the draw.