Andy Murray debuts with a victory at Queen’s Club Championships in his 1000th Tour-Level Match

Andy Murray (No. 129) secured a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory against Alexei Popyrin (No. 48) in the Queen’s Club Championships opener. The British player marked his 1000th Tour-level match with a triumph on grass, following his first-round defeat at the Stuttgart Open against Marcos Giron.

The 5-time Queen’s champion now becomes the 5th active player with the most official matches played, in a list led by Novak Djokovic (1324) and Rafael Nadal (1300). Murray is just behind Richard Gasquet (1004) and Fernando Verdasco (1006).

The return of the local hero to the United Kingdom filled the Center Court of the Queen’s Club in West Kensington, London. Murray, 37, is taking his final steps as a professional and delivered a stellar performance at Queen’s with his 739th win in 1000 matches.

In the first set, Murray reaped the benefits of his serve. With a 71% first serve rate, the Brit dominated the set, conceding only four points on his serve. The former world No. 1 had nine winners and just one unforced error compared to Popyrin's six winners and six unforced errors. A single break in the 8th game in Murray's favor was enough to secure the set 6-3 in 34 minutes.

The particularly fast and slippery conditions at Queen’s led to numerous short points, with Popyrin frequently approaching the net but with limited success, winning only 57% of net points. The Australian found his best form in the second set with 13 winners against Murray's seven, significantly improving his first serve percentage to 83%.

Popyrin quickly broke at the start of the second set, leading 3-0 within 10 minutes. He maintained composure for the remainder of the set, equalizing the match with a 6-3 win and saving a break point along the way.

In the third set, Murray broke early and, like Popyrin in the second set, led 3-0. The Australian struggled with his first serve, achieving less than 50%, and faced difficulties throughout the set, unable to pose a significant threat to Murray's serve.

The 2-time Wimbledon champion demonstrated his class in crucial moments, closing out the match 6-3, thanks to the early break. The final score was 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and Murray advances to the second round at Queen’s. His next opponent will be another Australian, world No. 43 Jordan Thompson, who recently upset Holger Rune (No. 15) in the first round.