SUMMARY
- Andy Murray has not been gaining ranking points in the past four months.
- Andy Murray has not thought of quitting the sport and wants to continue training to get better.
Andy Murray is going through a distressing phase of his career. Since the start of this season, he has played in four events and has failed to win a single match. Murray has won two sets so far this year and has been struggling to find a breakthrough. He is one of the senior players on tour and has a metal hip, which further slows him down on the court during long matches.
The 36-year-old will soon exit the top 50 in the rankings and may drop to No. 70 if he is not able to win matches in March. Murray was ranked No. 37 during the 2023 US Open. When asked about his current form, Murray said, “The easiest thing for me would have been to leave my career. Maybe I’ll have to play in Challengers.” He had hit back at his critics who suggested he quit earlier.
Andy Murray NUNCA se va a dar por vencido.
“Lo más fácil para mí hubiera sido dejar mi carrera. Pero sigo porque amo el juego, amo entrenar. Hay que rendir en competición, eso es lo único que cuenta. Quizás tenga que jugar en Challengers”. pic.twitter.com/Pw0iUkYWk4
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) February 6, 2024
Murray had played in four challenger events last season before Wimbledon. He won three of them and lost in the opening round at Bordeaux to Stan Wawrinka. The same strategy can be used this year, which can boost Murray’s confidence and motivate him to do the same on the ATP tour. He is expected to play at the Qatar Open, which will begin on February 19.
Andy Murray continues winless streak on tour
Murray played his fourth match of the season at Open 13 Provence in Marseille. In the opening round, he faced Tomas Machac. The former world No. 1 was facing Machac for the first time on tour. Murray started the game with well-orchestrated points finished by volleys. Even though Machac took a 3-1 lead, he found the score leveled 5-5 a few minutes later.
The Czech player took the first set as Murray’s unforced errors and inconsistent returns took a toll. In the second set, Machac used his grace along with his placement to win the points. He again took a 3-1 lead and finished the match with a strong set of groundstroke winners from the baseline. It was Murray’s second straight loss this season as the world No. 66 won the match 7-5, 6-4.
Machac marches on👊
Tomas Machac defeats Andy Murray 7-5 6-4 to advance in Marseille 🎉#open13provence pic.twitter.com/rZ1N8E0bWP
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 6, 2024
Murray had spoken about retirement during the Australian Open as he has been suffering painful defeats on the tour. The three-time grand slam winner had last won a match at Basel in October last season. He had defeated Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets. But since then, Murray has ended up on the losing side of the court. This season has not given him hope so far to continue on the tour.