Andy Murray says he's one 'big injury' away from retirement
Murray, 35, looking for more consistency this season after struggling last year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At 35 years old, Andy Murray will continue playing tennis professionally as long as he stays in good shape.
But Murray knows, especially after these last few years, that one injury could change everything.
"If my body is in good shape and I’m still able to compete consistently, I’ll keep playing, Murray said via ESPN.
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Andy Murray of Great Britain is shown at the Australian Open, Jan. 20, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
"But I can’t look so far in advance with the age I’m at and with the issues I’ve had. If I was to have a big injury, I probably wouldn’t try to come back from that."
Murray’s had his fair share of big injuries up to this point in his career, needing hip surgery in 2018 and 2019. It’s been tough for the former world No. 1 to get back to consistent winning again since those surgeries as Murray has tried to capture that glory he found in his Grand Slam-winning days.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ANDY MURRAY PULLS OFF US OPEN FIRST-ROUND UPSET IN STRAIGHT SETS
In October, he fell to France’s Gilles Simon and said at the time that he needs to "take responsibility" for his play on the court. He added that his hip had nothing to do with the losses.
During the U.S. Open, when Murray was the world No. 51 at the time – he’s currently ranked No. 49 – he defeated Francisco Cerundolo, who was ranked No. 24, to advance to the second round.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andy Murray returns a shot during the first round of the U.S. Open in New York on Aug. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
There, he defeated 20-year-old Emiliano Nava in four sets before falling to No. 13-ranked Matteo Berrettini in the third round. So Murray can certainly still compete at Grand Slams – he just needs to make sure his body can handle the rigorous play.
That will be put to the test in January when the Australian Open takes place.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm certainly in better shape than I was," he said. "A lot of work was done in the gym, trying to build up my endurance and my stamina a bit, and I'm hoping that's going to help me next year."
Murray is just looking for better results than last season, admitting that he "wasn’t happy" with how everything went in his matches.
Andy Murray of Britain reacts after defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in their first-round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"My ranking still went from 125 to 50 in a year. I'm hoping that this year, with the work I've done, things will continue to improve and I'll still be motivated to get out there and compete," he said.