Bad times for the old guys… While we await with a certain excitement the return to the courts of Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells next week, Andy Murray has just confirmed that he is not far from lowering the curtain.
Beaten this Wednesday by Ugo Humbert in the second round of the ATP 500 in Dubai (6-2, 6-4), the former world No. 1 declared leaving the court that he would probably not go to the beyond next summer.
“I'm tired of being asked the question at every match, at every tournament,” said the Scot, who will be 37 in May, as disappointed as he is annoyed.
I'm not going to talk about it anymore until the time comes, but I probably won't play again after this summer.
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Now 67th in the rankings, the former winner of three Grand Slams, one Masters, two Olympic gold medals and fourteen Masters 1000s has been in difficulty on the courts for several months and is no longer able to get back on track.
In 2024, his counter shows six losses for two successes.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” he even told his clan during his match against Humbert.
It's a horrible feeling, a horrible feeling on a tennis court.
Horrible.
» The Briton will head to the American tour, treat himself to one last installment of Roland-Garros and especially Wimbledon and try to do well at the Paris Games, for which he is still in a position to be qualified.
He plays with a metal hip
Then it will probably be time to put the snowshoes away, this time for good.
Because Sir Andy has already announced his retirement… in January 2019!
In tears before the Australian Open, the fourth member of the Big Three declared that he only had a few months left on the circuit after a major hip operation from which he was unable to recover and which took end of its golden age.
“I would like to finish at Wimbledon, but I don’t even know if I will be able to,” he sobbed at the time.
I'm not sure I can play with the pain for another four or five months.
It is too strong and prevents me from having fun on the field or in training.
It is possible that the Australian Open will be my last tournament.
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Through suffering, resilience and perseverance - and with the help of quite a few invitations to tournaments that his ranking no longer allowed him to play -, Murray was able to afford some great extensions and a few pieces of bravery .
We will know in the coming weeks if Nadal takes the same path...