Murray hints he only has 'few months' of career left
Written by I Dig SportsGreat Britain's Andy Murray has suggested he may only have a "few months" left of his tennis career after earning his second win of 2024 in Dubai.
The 36-year-old beat Canadian Denis Shapovalov 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
"I probably don't have too long left but I'll do as best as I can these last few months," he said after the victory.
Murray was on a six-match losing streak until last week when he secured his first win of the year in Doha.
"I still love competing and still love the game but it gets harder and harder to compete the older you get, to keep your body fit and fresh," he said.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray's potential retirement has been a topic of discussion for several years after the Scot underwent hip replacement surgery in 2019.
But Murray defied the odds to return to the court, winning another title and reaching three other finals, the last of which was last year when he lost to Daniil Medvedev in Doha.
This year, however, Murray lost his opening four matches of the 2024 season and said he was in a "terrible moment" but that he "won't quit" despite speculation around when he might decide to retire.
He had looked out of sorts at the Australian Open, and during two subsequent ATP Tour defeats in France, but had said he was determined to produce performances he knew he was still capable of.
Beating world number 75 Alexandre Muller last week in Doha was one of those performances but Murray went on to lose to 18-year-old Jakub Mensik, ranked 116th, in the second round and dropped to 67th in the world as a result.
During that match, Murray appeared to tell his box "this game is not for me any more" but, when asked about those comments in Dubai on Monday, he said: "People read a lot into what I say on the court and it's not always rational."
More to follow.