15 January 2024 , 09:34
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Andy Murray admits he may have played his final Australian Open match following his first-round defeat to Tomas Martin Etcheverry - as the Brit edges closer to retirement.
Murray, 36, lost in straight sets to the Argentine on Monday to end his dream of an unlikely maiden triumph in Melbourne. The three-time Grand Slam winner, who has lost five Australian Open finals during his glittering career, is now considering calling it a day.
Murray organised an unexpected press conference with journalists on the media terrace shortly after his loss on Monday. The chat was not televised. Murray admitted: "There's definitely a possibility that it's the last time I play here (in Melbourne)."
It's the first time Murray has suffered a first-round defeat at the Australian Open since 2019. The two-time Wimbledon champion is one of the greatest tennis players of his generation but has struggled in Grand Slam events since suffering a hip injury in 2017.
Murray dropped as low as No.839 in the world rankings due to his troublesome hip but has rebuilt his career since having hip resurfacing surgery in 2019. He's spent the last couple of years back in the world's top 50 and has reached multiple ATP finals.
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But at 36, it's unclear how much longer Murray can go on for at the highest level. He's expected to continue playing for a while yet, with fans looking forward to watching him at Wimbledon in July. This year's Olympics in Paris is another farewell option.
Murray, who was visibly emotional after his latest defeat, admitted: "I have an idea of what I would probably like to finish playing. Yeah, so much of that depends on how you're playing. The time frame for that narrows when you play and have results like today.
"Look, I know that Tomas is a really, really good player. I'm aware of that. Even if I play well today, I can still lose the match. It's just the nature of the performance that makes you question things. I haven't gained in belief from today's match that at some stage I'm going to start playing really well again or winning tournaments or getting to the latter stages of major events.
"Last year was a slightly different story. Physically I held up well against two really good players. Yeah, very different situation sitting here. So the time frame narrows a little bit for me to, yeah, get to a level that I want to be at."
Murray waved goodbye to the crowd after his latest defeat (Getty Images)Do you think Andy Murray should retire? Let us know in the comments below!
Asked if he will consult his family and coaching team before making a decision, Murray added: “I've spoken to them about it. I've spoken to my family about it. I've spoken to my team about it. Well, yeah, they're very aware of how I feel about things, where I would like to finish playing, when that would be. I haven't made any definite decisions on that.
"Yeah, it's obviously something that I need to think about and see exactly when that is. I have spoken to my team about it. I've spoken to my family about it multiple times. It's not like it hasn't been something that's been on my mind."
Murray has enjoyed his most consistent success at Melbourne Park and lost his finals here to Novak Djokovic (four times) and Roger Federer (2010). But he stopped and appeared to wave farewell to the crowd in the Kia Arena after his 16th and potentially last appearance in the first Grand Slam of the year.
Murray continued: "Whilst you're playing the match, you're obviously trying to control your emotions, focus on the points and everything. When you're one point away from the end, you're like, I can't believe this is over so quickly, and like this.
"Yeah, in comparison to the matches that I played here last year, it's the complete opposite feeling walking off the court. Yeah, wish I involved the crowd more. Just disappointed with the way I played and all of that stuff. Tough, tough way to finish."
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