Andy Murray is undoubtedly one of the legends of tennis. It is a treat to watch Murray, with his metal hip, outplaying opponents who are much younger than him. This is the first time the Scotsman has returned to play at Washington since 2018, his first appearance since Wimbledon.
Murray is a true champion of the game and is well-loved by fans worldwide. He had the crowd cheering him on loudly as he took on Brandon Nakashima, defeating him 7-6(5), 6-4 in straight sets.
However, a special moment was captured on the camera. Following his win, Murray was seen surrounded by young fans, each vying for an autograph. A young boy even declared that Murray is the reason he plays tennis.
‘Andy, you’re the reason that I play’ 🥹@andy_murray giving back to his young DC fans after his opening round win#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/1ukicOwDtI
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) August 2, 2023
It is precious for an athlete to be told how much of an influence he has been. This wholesome moment is no exception to it. Andy Murray continues to be an inspiration.
Murray will be trying to leave the ghosts of Wimbledon behind him, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round. This win in Washington is special since his body gave up the last time he had played at the same venue.
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
People turned up in huge numbers to support Murray. He even thanked them for missing work and showing up for him. His classic performance against Nakashima was well worth missing work for.
Andy Murray impresses ex-coach
Prior to his first match at the Citi Open, Murray had revealed how he had recorded Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic during the Wimbledon final. Before Alcaraz, Murray was the last person to defeat Djokovic in the Wimbledon summit clash.
During the interview, Murray mentioned how he studied the two players as they went against each other. He dissected the way they played and ultimately learned a lot from them.
This admission has greatly impressed Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic. He took to social media to hail Andy’s comments as a ‘manual’ for young players. “This is for the ‘manual’ on HOW to watch tennis matches if you’re a player,” he wrote.
This is for the ‘manual’ on HOW to watch tennis matches if you’re a player. Today I find that young players are not watching enough tennis. If anything, highlights, which obviously don’t say anything about the match. So much can be learned from matches of other players https://t.co/deqJ9iZXbo
— Ivan Ljubicic (@theljubicic) August 2, 2023
In the same interview, Murray elaborated that he saw Carlos learning from his mistakes as the game progressed. He felt it was a closely contested game and could have gone either way.
Andy Murray’s comments about watching other players during a match will surely be useful for budding players. Andy Murray will take on Taylor Fritz next at the Citi Open.