• London Olympics 2012

Baltacha wants to partner Murray at London 2012

ESPN staff
August 3, 2011
Elena Baltacha admits her body struggles to cope with the demands of playing on the WTA Tour © Getty Images
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Elena Baltacha has set her sights on playing in the mixed doubles with Andy Murray at London 2012 after revealing she will consider her future after next summer's Olympics.

The British No. 1, who was diagnosed with a liver condition as a teenager, has struggled with a series of injury problems throughout her career. Despite having enjoyed one of her best seasons to date, the world No. 60 admits her body struggles to cope with the demands of playing on the WTA Tour.

"I want to get to the Olympics and then maybe retire, I've been playing tennis for such a long time now," Baltacha told BBC Scotland. "I'm 28 this year, and sometimes I wake up and wonder how much more my body can take; if I'm struggling with injuries then I'm not going to carry on."

While the four grand slam tournaments remain the top prizes in the sport, Baltacha believes the status of the Olympics has risen in recent years, and she admits that playing mixed doubles with fellow Scot Andy Murray at next year's Olympics may be the perfect swansong.

"I think now that tennis has been in the Olympics for quite a few years, players are taking it a lot more seriously," Baltacha said. "Especially with London coming up, I hear a lot of players talking about it and how amazing it's going to be.

"It would be unbelievable to play mixed doubles with Andy. It would be absolutely fantastic. If I am going to be retiring after the Olympics then that is something that I'll definitely think about, playing doubles and mixed doubles."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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