Sawt Falasteen - Murray teams up with Raducanu in Wimbledon mixed doubles

The pair were Wednesday granted a wild card just a day after Murray, 37, pulled out of the singles due to his failure to regain full fitness following a back operation.

The two-time Wimbledon singles champion will also play men's doubles with his brother Jamie at the All England Club, with the pair launching their campaign on Centre Court on Thursday.

The mixed doubles event starts the following day.

Murray played mixed doubles with Serena Williams in 2019, making it to the third round, but it will be a Grand Slam debut in doubles for Raducanu.

The 21-year-old floated the idea of teaming up with Murray two years ago, telling the BBC: "We haven't actually spoken about it but it's something we feel we both want to do."

Asked following her first-round singles win on Monday about Murray's influence on her, Raducanu, US Open champion in 2021, said: "I think the biggest advice is just how he's always taken care of his operations, how he manages his people.

"I haven't really spoken to him so much. I think for me it's just watching him operate day to day, watching him be absolutely on it with everything. Even in practice now he's so on it to the minute."

Murray and Raducanu face a tough opening round contest against Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai.

Arevalo last month won the men's doubles title for the second time at the French Open while Zhang is also a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion.

X.Habash--SF-PST