The greatest era of men’s tennis will come to an end in the next few years, but Andy Murray is doing his very best to prolong that period for as long as possible. Roger Federer faced it as soon as he turned 30 and his long-term rivals Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have had to deal with it for several years now.
Questions about exactly when they plan to retire have been constant occurrences in press conferences recently. Federer ultimately called time on his illustrious career last year in an emotional setting at the Laver Cup, with Murray, Djokovic and Nadal all sharing the court with him one final time.
The Swiss icon’s retirement ultimately led to his three rivals swatting even more questions over their future in the sport. Murray in particular has had to bat away more queries over his impending retirement than most.
It’s easy to understand why with fans simply not wanting to miss out on his final tournament. But, time and time again, Murray has proven that he has more than enough ability to continue challenging on the ATP Tour for a while yet.
Ranked 66th in the world coming into the Australian Open, it’s at the majors where Murray knows that he needs to step it up. The five-set format is ultimately what tests Murray’s body and fitness to the max and he’s been unable to get past the third round of any major since reaching the quarter-final of Wimbledon back in 2017.
In the years since, Murray has only been able to play 11 of the last 21 Grand Slam tournaments and it looks as though he may never play the French Open again with his focus on preparing for Wimbledon. But he’s started the 2023 Australian Open with his biggest win at the tournament since reaching the final in 2016.
Seeded No 13, Berrettini would have been the strong favourite to progress but a determined Murray miraculously saved match point and held on to win a contest that lasted just under five hours. Back at his chair immediately after the win it was clear Murray’s body had suffered with his legs beginning to stiffen up.
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But the former world No 1 has clearly found a way to continue fighting at the highest level at 35 years of age and with a metal hip. It’s that very determination that is likely to prolong Murray from retiring for more years to come.
Neither Djokovic nor Nadal have gone through comparably injury issues to Murray, but they both have struggled more in recent years. But they’re not regarded as the greatest of all time purely for their ability to win at a remarkable rate – it’s also due to their insane longevity.
And that longevity doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon with Murray hoping to roll back the years once more.
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