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Andy Murray says he feels “proud” but “disappointed” after crashing out in the third round at the Australian Open, adding he wants to retire “playing tennis like this”.
The former world No.1 saw his remarkable run in Melbourne end in the third round as the 35-year-old lost 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 6-4 to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray is coming off the back of a marathon contest in the first two rounds where he beat 13th seed Matteo Berrettini and local hope Thanasi Kokkinakis.
You never know exactly when the end will be. I want to go out and play tennis like this, where I compete with the best players in the world at the biggest event and do myself justice.
Murray said he will leave Melbourne with fond memories of this year’s tournament, but is aiming to move up the rankings from world number 66 to give himself a better chance of advancing to the Grand Slams.
He had spent 10 hours and 34 minutes on the field only to reach the last 32 minutes and was back with Bautista Agut for another three hours and 29 minutes.
“I think there are a lot of mixed emotions,” the 35-year-old said. “I feel like I’ve given everything I’ve got for this event, so I’m proud of it.
“You can’t always control the outcome. You can’t control how well you will play or the result. You can control the effort you put into it, and I gave everything I had in the last three matches. I’m very proud.
“But I’m also disappointed because I did a lot of work at the beginning of the year and played well to go well.
“I was competing with someone who is 20th in the world and it’s still very tight considering the situation. I feel disappointed because I feel like I could have been a little bit better.”
The contest comes four years after Murray tearfully revealed that he was suffering from hip pain and that he was considering retirement before his first-round showdown with Bautista Agut.
He arrived at Melbourne Park feeling positive about his body and his game, and his first-round win over Berrettini was perhaps his best since 2017, but the physical toll was huge.
Murray, who spent a strict off-season training block getting in better shape and fitness in Florida, feels the hard work is slowly paying off.
“I’m competing with the 20th person in the world and it’s still very tight considering the conditions. I’m disappointed because I feel like I could have been a little bit further”
When asked if the sacrifice was worthwhile, the three-time Grand Slam champion replied: “You don’t know exactly when it will end. world player in the biggest event and do me justice.
“There were probably a few years ago when I didn’t feel like I was playing well, and I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing.
“The sacrifice and the effort I made allowed me to go through the match and play at the highest level that I think is entertaining for the people watching. I feel good about the way I played. I played like that, when I came to the main event and really believe i can do some damage.
“But I can go deeper than the third round of the Slam, there’s no question about it. Obviously, the picture can open for you. I also have to help myself. If I played at this level last year, I probably wouldn’t be ranked 50, 60 in the world. It’s up to me to try and change.
Murray was happy with his moves, but felt that his serve gave him the most problems, saying: “I was struggling with my lower back. That affected my serve. We felt worse on the court than that. It was just the serve.”
He added: “I’m not injured, which is good. My body is obviously under a lot of load and stress over the last few days. I need to take some time to recover.”
There was a frosty handshake between the two at the net, and Bautista Agut said afterwards: “He knows the game very well and knows how to play with the crowd, how to play with the opponent’s nerves. Today was a difficult match. . I think he did a good job.”
Murray plans to play in Rotterdam, which starts on February 13, followed by the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships starting on February 27.
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