Andy Murray adds mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu to final Wimbledon campaign

Despite withdrawing from the men's singles even at this year's Wimbledon, Andy Murray's final fortnight at the All England Club will include two events anyway: The former world No. 1 will team up with Emma Raducanu in mixed doubles.

The two-time Wimbledon champion, who underwent back surgery to remove a spinal cyst 11 days ago, withdrew from his anticipated first round singles match against Tomas Machac on Tuesday afternoon, closing the book on the "Will he, or won't he?" saga that captivated media headlines in the week leading into, and over the first two days, of the tournament, and putting a dampner on what Murray has said will be his final trip to SW19 as a competitor.

But in doing so, he confirmed that he'll still play doubles with his brother Jamie, and on Wednesday, Wimbledon announced that he and Raducanu were also awarded a wild card for the mixed draw.

It's not the first time that Murray has made up one-half of a celebrity mixed doubles team at Wimbledon. Four years ago, the pair of Murray and Serena Williams, dubbed Team MurRena (and not his preferred SerAndy), captivated crowds at SW19 with a run to the third round.

In eight prior major appearances, meanwhile, Raducanu has never featured in either women's or mixed doubles. But the 21-year-old Brit spoke glowingly of her torch-bearing compatriot ahead of the tournament and what she's learned from him, despite saying she hasn't "really spoken to him so much" in her brief time on the professional circuit.

"I'm very happy to see him here because when I think of Wimbledon, I think of Andy. Growing up, that was the generation, the hero I would look up to," Raducanu 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 like 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.

"I think me, when I was a bit younger maybe, showing up 15 minutes before practice to do a few arm curls, swing my hand around and warm up, he's there for an hour and a half doing treatment. He just sets really good examples."

So, what are we calling this one, tennis fans: Team Murracanu? Raduray? You have some time to think about it: The mixed doubles event at Wimbledon begins on Friday.