Published 11:00 IST, July 8th 2023
'This will take a while': Andy Murray drops a bombshell on his last Wimbledon appearance
Murray intimated that he may have made his final-ever appearance in the competition after having his ambitions dashed in the second round.
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Wimbledon 2023 had another heartbreaking exit as Andy Murray departed from the tournament after losing the match to the 5th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a 5-setter tie on the Centre Court that went on for 2 days. Prior to Wimbledon's curfew ending the match and moving it to Friday, Murray had a remarkable two-set lead after winning the third set.
3 things you need to know
- Andy Murray was once ranked World’s no.1 by ATP for 41 weeks
- Murray won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016
- Murray’s best year of his career came in 2016
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Andy Murray in Wimbledon 2023
Day 5 of the tournament resumed with Murray on the verge of a stunning win in the 2023 Championships. The previous champion, needing just one additional set to win, started the fourth set slowly and found it difficult to break his rival's serve. Tsitsipas took advantage and won the tie-breaker. A worn-out Murray's serve was broken early in the final set, and Tsitsipas held his lead to go to the third round.
There were great expectations for Murray to get to the quarterfinals at the All England Club for the first time since 2017 after his recent back-to-back Challenger championships in June. He was sad since his dreams were crushed in the second round. Murray added to his disappointment by implying that this may be his final participation on the occasion.
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What did Andy Murray say about his possible return to the Centre Court next year?
Motivation is obviously a big thing. Continuing having early losses in tournaments like this don't necessarily help with that. Yeah, it's similar to I guess last year. I had a long think about things, spoke to my family, decided to keep on going.
Murray voiced scepticism when asked whether he planned to attend Wimbledon again the following year and emphasised the need for drive. In competitions like Wimbledon, he noted that numerous early defeats might sap enthusiasm. He compared his experience to the previous year when he took some time to think about his tennis career before deciding to continue.
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Even though he currently has no plans to retire, Murray acknowledged that it will be challenging to bounce back from his most recent Wimbledon loss. He is still certain that he will find the will to work more, push himself, and pursue development.
In Grand Slam competitions after his recovery from hip surgery, Murray's performance has been underwhelming. His finest performances were in the 2021 Wimbledon, the 2022 US Open, and the 2023 Australian Open, when he reached the third round. He has never moved past the third round.
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11:00 IST, July 8th 2023