Andy Murray: "Before I was on a private flight, now in an electric car"

When he is told about the benefits of his country during the parade that precedes the interview,

Andy Murray (Dunblane, Scotland; 34 years old) agrees.

But he clarifies: "The landscapes are wonderful, but it rains a lot and it's cold."

Footballer, the Scotsman sticks out his chest when the

from Edinburgh: “My team”.

And then, when the recorder is already running, she elaborates and meticulously thinks about the answer, pausing several times.

Invited in Madrid by the organization of the tournament, the veteran who managed to interfere in the three-way reign of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic talks about his round trip.

After reaching the top and winning three majors, in 2019 he took it for granted with a farewell threat in Australia, but 20 months later he returned and has since competed with a titanium hip.

Today he enjoys the Caja Mágica, although during his transfer he suffered a small incident at the airport.

Ask.

Have you managed to recover the rackets yet?

Response.

Yes, fortunately yes.

I missed one workout, but they were on time for the next one.

P.

Can you imagine a day without rackets or tennis?

R.

Well... [takes five seconds to answer] Yes. I'll be sad the day that happens, but I have many things to look forward to the day I don't play anymore, so I can imagine it.

Of course, I would throw myself playing 20 more years if I could, but it probably won't be like that.

More information

'The gender of the coach should not matter', by ANDY MURRAY

Q.

What does tennis mean to you?

R.

For me it has been a very important part of my life.

I've been playing for about 30 years;

I started at four.

It has always been something important to me, it has given me an incredible life, I have visited fascinating cities, I have met incredible people, I have fulfilled many of my dreams… Tennis has given me a lot, it has been very important in my life.

I've put a lot of time and effort into it, and even though I've put a lot of demands on my body, it means a lot to me.

I am the 80th of the circuit, and that I have many physical complications.

Few would be able to play at this level with the problem that I have

Q.

You have been a professional since 2005 and you are almost 35 years old.

What motivates you the most to keep going?

R.

I'm not looking for a specific goal, I just really like playing tennis.

I like to look for ways to improve, I like to compete, I like the structure that this sport gives me... Of course I have my ego and I want to do well, but I can't control everything.

I am not happy with being 80 in the world or with the fact that I am out of tournaments in the first rounds, but I try to improve and face the situation.

There are those who tell me that I should quit, that my career is over, but I'm still 80th, and I have many physical complications;

I think there are few players in the world capable of competing at this level with the problem that I have, with the injury that I have.

I am proud of what I have achieved after my operation, with the surgery, because it is not easy.

Q.

Nadal has once commented that he is worried about his health and tomorrow.

Do you have any similar type of fear?

R.

Hmm… [makes a long pause].

No not really.

If I was worried about doing permanent damage to my body, I wouldn't continue playing, and I would hope that the people I work with would advise me not to continue.

I know that with the operation that I have had at some point the metal parts that they have put in me will fail and that they will have to change my hip completely, but when I talk to the surgeons, with my team, with the doctors and the physical therapists, they tell me that this is life and that once I finish holding my hip, I won't be able to play tennis anymore.

But while I can, I'm going to try.

In a few weeks I will be 35 [on May 15] and physically I feel good.

Murray, this week at the Magic Box.

/ MMO

Q.

How would you like to be remembered when you leave?

A.

Well, I've had a bit of bad luck, depending on how you look at it.

Obviously, if you look at what the three above me [Nadal, Federer and Djokovic] have achieved, what I have won will seem insignificant to some.

And I get it.

I will never say that I was at the same level as them, I take responsibility for what they have won, but I do think that there were times in my career when I was playing at their same level;

I was able to win against them in some of the biggest tournaments, and some will say that if I hadn't had such a major injury at the time when I was number one in the world and playing my best tennis... The injury It made me lose two or three very good years.

Suddenly, my tennis stopped when I was at the highest level, it was very difficult.

P.

The vast majority would sign to have their record.

He is satisfied?

R.

I think that what I have achieved with my three majors, the two Olympic golds, the Davis Cup, many finals in the big tournaments... is a great achievement.

If I had had another time, I think I would have done much more.

I don't know, I would like to be seen as someone who gave everything he had to the sport, who prepared himself a lot, who worked very hard, who gave everything he had.

I would like to finish my career and look back without regretting too much.

I think everyone regrets things, we can't change them, but I don't know exactly how I want to be remembered.

There is a lot of political division in the UK and in the world, there seems to be no middle ground;

there are a lot of people at the ends, and I don't like that

Q. You

have four children.

When he looks around him and sees wars, violence, poverty, does he worry about the legacy that the new generations may receive?

A.

Yes. Lately I have been reading things around these issues and it seems to me that in some cases things are worse, but in others they are better.

People are living longer, and in most places they are living in better conditions than they were 40 or 50 years ago.

But there are areas that are not going well, of course in my country, I don't know what the political situation is in Spain... In recent years I have seen things, there is a lot of division.

The same thing happens in the UK, there seems to be no middle ground, people are at the extremes of the political spectrum, also in the United States.

I do not like it.

Q.

But what can be done?

R.

I prefer that people come together and find solutions, that there is a shared ground.

For example, on the subject of climate and the environment;

here I feel that I have a greater conscience.

I have discussed it with my wife and we have said: when our children are 15 years old they will be taught these things at school, and if we know now that this is a problem and we do not change anything in our lives, when they reach that age and we ask what we did or what we changed, knowing that this problem existed, and we told them that nothing, that we continued doing things as usual, I think they would think that it was very selfish of us.

I try to do something better.

I drive an electric car, there was a time when I flew in a private plane and I never do it anymore;

I have also changed some of my eating habits.

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