One of the all-time GREAT comebacks! The moment @andy_murray defeated Kokkinakis after a 5-hour-45-minute EPIC 😨 @AustralianOpen #AusOpen
"It could be the last year": Andy Murray admits in honest admission about tennis future, says he is currently not enjoying the sport
ATPSunday, 31 December 2023 at 22:00
Andy Murray
revealed that he ceased to enjoy tennis in the latter part of 2023 and admitted
that he might consider leaving the sport if he encounters a similar situation
by the end of 2024. The former world No. 1 lost five of the last six matches of
the season, including a tough defeat against Alex De Minaur when he squandered
a 5-2 lead with two breaks in his favor.
The 3-times
Grand Slam champion acknowledged in an interview with BBC Sports that facing
such a situation again, where he does not enjoy tennis, could mark the end of
his career. "If I was in a situation like I was at the end of last year,
then I probably wouldn’t go again. But then if physically I’m doing well and my
results are good and I’m playing well, then that’s enjoyable and I could see
myself still playing," he said.
2024 Season and the Possibility of Retirement
Murray
added that the decision on retirement will hinge on the results and feelings he
experiences throughout the year regarding his physical condition and tennis
performance: “We’ll see how the year goes, see how the body holds up. If things
are going well, I’d love to keep going. But if they’re not, and I’m not
enjoying it, it could be the last year, yes.”
The
36-year-old tennis player is just hours away from making his debut at the
Brisbane International and mentioned that his preparation was not ideal: “I had
the shoulder injury before Davis Cup [in November], so I wasn’t able to serve
for a few weeks, and then there’s obviously a gradual build-up to being able to
serve full out,” he explained.
“And also I
got quite sick literally just as I was leaving to go to Dubai, so that made
things a bit tricky – and I had a bruised meniscus in my knee which also
restricted me from doing certain things”
“I was able
to still practise and do lots of training but it’s just there was certain stuff
I wasn’t able to do – like playing points and full-out sprinting and changes of
direction,” Murray added. So it’s not been that straightforward but the last 10
days or so I’ve managed to get more of that in. There are signs in practice
that my level is good enough.”
Read also
Hip Injury
The British
player underwent a hip operation that nearly led to his retirement in 2019, and
he acknowledged the challenges of the years when he couldn't compete regularly:
“When you have played right at the highest level, it’s not that easy when you
are going through periods where you are losing in first rounds, and maybe
losing matches that you probably should have won. Part of that is
psychological, but part of it is also where my game was at as well,” the
two-time Olympic champion said.
“But then,
at the same time, a couple of years ago if someone had offered me that I’d been
playing at top-40 level in the world when I had been struggling with my hip, I
would have been happy with that,” 3-times Grand Slam champion added. But it is
hard, mentally, so I need to do a better job of putting things in perspective
this year and be a little bit easier on myself.”
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