SUMMARY
- Andy Murray is struggling to win a match on tour this season.
- The crowd booed Andy Murray after losing a match against Benoit Paire.
Andy Murray has been playing on the ATP tour since 2005. Over the past two decades, fans have been watching Murray’s different stages on the court. Murray has played in three events this season and has suffered first-round defeats in all of them. He is currently on a five-match losing streak. His latest loss came against Benoit Paire at Montpellier’s Sud de France Open.
Murray received boos from the crowd for his form in the match. Fans have suggested he hang up the rackets instead of running his record in the sport. They have called it “one of his worst losses in his entire career.” One of the fans said, “He clearly hasn’t been the same since the hip injury/surgery.” The hip surgery has affected Murray’s court coverage.
Andy Murray deserves to retire. He did everything he could and achieved massive things in his career. He clearly hasn’t been the same since the hip injury/surgery and it’s sad to see him struggle to beat players he’d beat 9/10 times on the court before his injury. #AndyMurray
— The Hui (@TheHuiXI) January 29, 2024
Going to be completely honest, I’m still processing Andy Murray’s loss to Benoit Paire. I hate to jump ship and say Andy needs to retire, but one of the worst losses he’s suffered in his entire career. Paire hadn’t won on the main tour in 1.5 years and was ranked 112 coming in…
— Passing Shot Productions (@PassingShotProd) January 29, 2024
If he did not enjoy playing on the tour, the former world No.1 had spoken about retirement at this year’s Australian Open. He had lost in the opening round at Melbourne and suffered his worst defeat in the event since 2006. In his debut at the Australian Open in 2006, Murray could only win seven games in the opening round; this year, he won eight games.
Andy Murray gets a reality check in Montpellier
The 2024 season has not been kind to Murray so far. The 36-year-old will soon drop out of the top 50 of the rankings. The last time Murray lost to an opponent ranked outside the top 100 was at the 2023 Rome Masters 1000 against Fabio Fognini in the opening round. But this time, Murray, even after serving 13 aces, could not overcome his opponent at Montpellier.
The opening set saw Murray dominate with his serve and take the lead in 28 minutes. In the next set, No. 112 attacked the second serve and survived the tiebreak to level the scores. In the third set, Murray could only win two points on his second serve and failed to convert four of five breakpoints. Paire’s win will be tough for Murray, as the losing streak is affecting his mental health.
A first tour-level win since 2022 ✅@benoitpaire comes back to beat Murray 2-6 7-6 6-3 in Montpellier 🤯#OSDF24 pic.twitter.com/7hGJsuAXmH
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 29, 2024
It was happy news for the Frenchman, as it had been long since he tasted victory on the tour. The last time Paire won a match on the ATP tour was in August 2022 against Peter Gojowczy in Washington. Since then, he has only been winning matches on the ITF tour. Murray will now be waiting for his breakthrough in the 2024 season.