Andy Murray makes honest retirement confession ahead of possible last season
Andy Murray has admitted 2024 could be his last year in tennis if he finds himself in a situation like he was at the end of 2023 where he was not enjoying it.
The three-time Grand Slam champion also revealed that injuries and illness have disrupted his off-season training, but declared “there are signs in practice that my level is good enough.”
Murray lost five of his last six matches in a difficult end to a 2023 season that ultimately proved frustrating, including a brutal three-set defeat to Alex De Minaur at the Paris Masters.
Following his Paris defeat, in which he saw a 5-2 double-break final set lead and a match point slip away, Murray admitted he had not been having fun.
“I’m not really enjoying it just now in terms of how I feel on the court and how I’m playing. The last five, six months haven’t been that enjoyable, so I need to try and find some of that enjoyment back because playing a match like that there’s not much positivity there,” the former world No 1 said.
Murray had made a bright start in 2023 as he earned back-to-back epic five-set wins over Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis to reach the third round of the Australian Open.
The 36-year-old then reached his only final of the season at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha in February, where he was beaten by Daniil Medvedev.
The Scot will face No 2 seed and world No 14 Grigor Dimitrov in his first match of the new campaign in a tough first round draw at the Brisbane ATP 250 tournament.
READ MORE: Andy Murray not sulking after nightmare Brisbane International draw
“If I was in a situation like I was at the end of last year, then I probably wouldn’t go again,” Murray told BBC Sport ahead of the Brisbane International.
“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.
“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 world No 42 also outlined how his preparation for 2024 has been less than ideal, but stressed he is encouraged by his level in practice.
“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.
“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.”
Murray also divulged that having been at the top before his hip injury has made his recent struggles more challenging mentally, but recognised the need for perspective.
“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.
“I served particularly poorly in the latter part of the season and getting cheap points on my serve has been, over my career, a big part of my game. I’m hoping some of the improvements I made in the off-season will help me in those situations and obviously mentally I need to do a better job as well.
“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.
“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.”
READ MORE: Andy Murray not sulking after nightmare Brisbane International draw
