Andy Murray drops retirement bombshell as Brit decides on final tournament

28 February 2024 , 14:40

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Andy Murray will likely retire at the end of the summer (Image: Tennis TV)

Andy Murray has confirmed that he plans to retire at the end of the summer after suffering yet another damaging defeat.

Murray was visibly frustrated after losing 6-2, 6-4 to French fifth seed Ugo Humbert in the second round in Dubai on Wednesday. The 36-year-old said he was entering the “last few months” of his career following a battling three-set win over Denis Shapovalov on Monday.

And the Scot went a step further following a match which saw him hit the umpire's chair with his racket and claim he felt "awful" on the court. “Yeah, I mean, I'm likely not going to play past this summer,” he said. “I get asked about it after every single match that I play, every single tournament that I play. I'm bored of the question, to be honest.

“Yeah, I'm not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop. But yeah, I don't plan on playing much past this summer.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion has been searching for form ever since undergoing an operation on his hip. Now ranked No.67 in the world, he started 2024 with a poor run of results, which continued against Humbert in Dubai.

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After hitting a forehand long in the second set, he was seen saying to his box: "I don't have a clue what I'm doing!" He was also annoyed to be told by the umpire that he could not talk to his coach in the stands in between games.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme before the match, he said he wants another shot at Olympic glory before bowing out. "Hopefully I can get the chance to compete at another one," Murray said. “When the time is right I will probably say something before I play my last match and my last tournament. Whether I say anything months ahead of the time I don't know."

Andy Murray suffered another disappointing loss (AFP via Getty Images)

The Olympic Games will take place in Paris this summer between July 27 to August 4 in the weeks after Wimbledon concludes on July 14. Murray has also said he wants to play at the French Open, which runs from May 20 to June 9 on Paris’ clay courts.

“Last few years I've tried to give myself maybe better preparation for the grass season, but that also doesn't guarantee that you're going to play really well on the grass,” he said.

"I've had experiences through my career where I didn't play the French Open in 2013 and I won Wimbledon. I also played the French Open and did really well in 2016. I don't think it makes a huge difference if you get an extra week's practice or so on the grass. So yeah, I would like to play one more time."

Felix Keith