Andy Murray was at his lowest point in the 2018 season. He was out in the first half of the season and ended up playing twelve matches in the second half. In the 2017 season, Murray did not play after Wimbledon due to a hip injury.
The hip injury forced him to play fewer matches each year. In 2016, Murray had played eighty-seven matches, and in the next four years, he featured in seventy-two matches. The contrast between one of his best seasons and the aftermath of the injury can be seen.
In 2018, Murray was competing at Washington and making a spectacular comeback. He registered three-set victories in the first three matches. In the second round, Murray even upset world No. 18, Kyle Edmund.
He then took three hours to beat Marius Copil in a rain-interrupted match that ended at 3 AM. Murray was left in tears after he won the match. He pulled out of the next match against Alex De Minaur, citing exhaustion. It was almost the end for the Brit then.
After his 2016 form, the most matches he played in a season was in 2022, when he played 45 matches. This season, Murray has played 20 matches so far. He has played in five Grand Slam matches this year, and only one was completed in three sets.
The numbers have slowed down for the former world No. 1, but he is still competing with an injury against the current generation of players.
Andy Murray’s emotional return to Citi Open
Murray is playing at Washington for the fifth time. He started his campaign with a well-set victory against Brandon Nakashima. Murray’s reflexes and court coverage were on point in the first set against Nakashima.
The 22-year-old lost the first set as he struggled to counterattack the drop shot by Murray. In the second set, the 2012 US Open champion took an early lead and, after two hours, secured his place in the fourth round.
Murray will next face Taylor Fritz for a place in the quarterfinal. The pair played one match against each other last year, which Fritz won in straight sets. Murray is no stranger to young opponents, and his victory against Nakashima proved the point. He will try to use the drop shots and volleys to move around Fritz and put him in defense mode.
Washington 2018: Murray breaks down in tears, later admitting his body could no longer handle professional tennis
Washington 2023: Post-surgery, Murray wins his first singles match in the city since that moment
❤️ @andy_murray #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/ZBixti64vs
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 2, 2023
Andy Murray is never out of competition, and nothing seems to stop the three-time Grand Slam winner. After five long years, He has a chance to play in the quarterfinals at Washington. The court has seen him in agony, and now it’s time to see him in ecstasy.