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Only a few hours ago I wrote an editorial about the future of Andy Murray. A future which seems more nebulous every day, for him, after having been eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open 2024. The Scottish tennis player said he was disappointed, sad and angry, in a press conference at the end of the match with Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The former world number one left the Australian Open in the first round playing a match below expectations and losing clearly in three sets. A performance that perhaps fueled the negative thoughts present within his mind, creating new, much more drastic ones.
Murray didn't mince words and explained that the one against the Argentine could have been his last match in Melbourne. "Was I emotional at the end? There is a possibility that this will be my last Australian Open. It probably affected the flow of the match and everything else.
You try to control your emotions during the match and, when you are one point away from defeat, you think: 'I can't believe it's all over so quickly.' I felt completely opposite sensations compared to last year. I'm disappointed," Murray said, almost in tears.
Murray: "It could be my last Australian Open"
The British champion then added: "Things didn't go well from the start. Disappointing performance. The crowd was amazing, they tried to get behind me and support me. I don't understand the reason for my performance, I've felt good in the last few days.
I know that sometimes when I feel frustrated, I show my emotions on the court. There is no doubt that this has affected me over the last 8-10 months. I didn't feel out of control or incredibly frustrated during the match today.
I tried to stay calm. We need to find the balance, Novak Djokovic could be an example for me. He is not perfect on the court in this respect, but he is always focused on every single point."
It's impossible not to think about all the adversity that Murray had to overcome to get back to competing."Every player's situation is different.
I had back surgery early in my career. The severity of that surgery is completely different than the one you underwent on your hip. Some tennis players return after becoming parents, but it is completely different than someone who has suffered an injury.
It's really difficult. I would say it is impossible for a tennis player to come back after a year and start feeling good on the court immediately. It takes time. I never really went back. It's not easy to change your perspective after being at the top.
It's difficult when you don't get back to the same level," analyzed Murray before focusing directly on the possible retirement. "I have an idea related to how I would like to stop playing. I talked about it with my team and my family. They know where and when I would like to end my career, but I haven't made any final decisions about it." he told.