DAVIS CUP FINALS

September 18, 2022

Andy Murray

Team Great Britain

Press Conference

A. MURRAY/D. Popko

6-4, 6-3

Great Britain - 1

Kazakhstan - 0

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on today's match?

ANDY MURRAY: I mean, it's not easy obviously playing matches like that mentally, but obviously you still want to put in a good performance because of the atmosphere and the crowd that have come to watch. They were brilliant the whole week, and especially today.

So, yeah, I thank them a lot for that.

In terms of tennis, I thought I did quite well after the beginning. I haven't really done any singles at all this week, which is different for me. It's a different way of returning on the doubles court on one side, playing a lot serve and volley. Yeah, not that easy to just switch back into singles mode. Took a little while.

Once I got going, I did all right.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Having played through the whole week, throughout a home tie basically, under the new format, how does it compare to the old format? Any thoughts on how the two compare?

ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I think for us, the home team is quite good. Obviously each tie, with it being best-of-three as well, it's probably in some ways a bit more intense, the matches, and there's less sort of room for error.

I'm not saying we would have won all the matches had it been best-of-five, but you have more of an opportunity to come back into the matches. If you're playing well, the longer the match is going, the better that is going to be for you.

It is different in terms of atmosphere and everything. I mean, it was brilliant for us all of the days. I think probably for the other teams, their feedback probably wouldn't be the same playing us. I'm sure they enjoyed that, the brilliant atmosphere. But when they were playing against each other, that probably wasn't the case. Yesterday I heard it was a bit better with the U.S.-Holland match.

For us, it was good. It's just a little bit different because of the best-of-three format.

Q. Must doubles are played in front of pretty much empty stadiums. How much does it mean to you, playing in front of a crowd like that when it's pretty much a full house?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was amazing. Like I said, I found it difficult at the beginning because, yeah, it's difficult to explain. It's just hard to know how to play, like, emotionally because you can't fake. I wanted to win today, but if I lose, it doesn't really matter. That's what I enjoy about sports. From that perspective, it was difficult.

But yeah, I mean, it was brilliant. They did an amazing job today. Yeah, it was the fullest it had been all week. I'm glad I was able to get out there and play in front of them. Maybe that's the last time I play here or get to play for Britain in front of a crowd like that.

Yeah, I'm glad I got out there and played today. They did make it special. If it is the last time, like, it's been amazing what they've done for our team and stuff.

I've spoken to my mum about it in the past. She's like, Never would have imagined that we would be playing, like, Davis Cup rubbers in front of packed seven-and-a-half thousand, eight thousand people, whatever the capacity is here.

The crowd in a lot of our matches has made a big difference. They've been some of the best memories I've had on a tennis court.

Yeah, I'm sad that we might not get the opportunity to play here again, but we also might be back here in February potentially. We'll just have to wait and see. So yeah...

Q. You touched on it on the court about the Laver Cup this week. I guess a few months ago when you signed up, you didn't know for sure that Roger would be retiring in the next week. How special is this experience going to be with you, Rafa, Novak and Roger all on the same team?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, look, I didn't know that he was going to be stopping. I don't know, I think people were maybe expecting that to happen at some stage in the not too distant future. I didn't know that when I signed up to play.

Yeah, the opportunity to play with those guys, now for the last time, yeah, all being in the same event together, it's not happened that much in the last few years. But yeah, to be on the same team, be with them for one last time, it will be really special.

I hope that Roger's able to play because, I mean, he always got amazing support at the O2. But, yeah, I think the atmosphere will be incredible. It's the end of, yeah, something pretty special. I'll try my best to enjoy it.

Q. I just wanted to get your thoughts on the performance of the Dutch team this week, the players individually.

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, well, I actually don't know what the final score was yesterday. I know they were up 2-0.

Q. 2-1.

ANDY MURRAY: 2-1?

But yeah, I mean, obviously in the match against us, I think Botic played an excellent match against Cam. From start to finish he played really well. Then in the doubles, I think those guys played a really good match. From speaking to the guys on our team that know them probably better than I do, like, yeah, they thought that was one of the best matches they've seen them play. They played a really good level. They deserved to win the group.

Yeah, they're a strong team. I think maybe the surface is quite a good one for them, as well. If the courts were quicker, like Tim, I don't know how to pronounce the surname, Tim van Rijthoven, he played really well on the quicker courts. They have a team that's quite versatile.

They're also missing Julien Rojer, who is a good friend of mine, one of the best doubles player in the world, so they have a really strong team with good depth, and they played well this week.

Q. I know you said earlier in the week you regretted not playing last year's Davis Cup, you'll come back and play this one. Where is your head as far as if you're still competitive enough to be involved, will you put your hat in the ring to continue representing the country?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think so because I really enjoyed this week, like, away from the court as well as getting to compete. Yeah, like last year, like I said, I regretted not playing when I had the opportunity to. I'm not saying I necessarily would have played, but had the opportunity to be part of the team.

But, yeah, look, moving forwards, it's obviously not going to be easy with the players that we have. Someone like Jack Draper is improving all the time. He'll be involved in the team for many years. Then obviously don't know which way the captain will go with the doubles after the results here, as well.

Yeah, I don't know. Don't know what the future holds in that respect. But if I'm selected, yeah, I'll definitely, definitely be involved.

Q. Obviously we don't know what's going to happen, whether Davis Cup will be back in Glasgow. If you don't have a chance to play in Glasgow, what is your message to the fans that traveled far and wide to cheer you on?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, like, just thanks for creating amazing memories, brilliant atmospheres, yeah, helping us achieve something that was really special, not just for me but the whole of British tennis really.

Yeah, like I said, again, even today, dead rubber on Sunday against maybe not a well-known team, and they turned out and gave amazing support.

I don't just speak for myself but for all of the players, like, they love playing here. They love coming back here. When we're asked about it, we want to come and play at the Emirates because we know guaranteed that it's going to be an amazing atmosphere.

Yeah, huge thanks to them for always turning up and supporting us. Yeah, hope that tennis, even if I'm not playing, tennis will come back here for Davis Cups in the future.

I think they're hosting the Fed Cup, as well? Am I right in saying that?

Q. Yes.

ANDY MURRAY: In a few weeks. So, yeah, great to have tennis up in Scotland, high-level tennis. I think there is the passion for it. We need to try and keep as many events here as we can.

Q. How kind of much has it been on your mind that this could be the last time you play Davis Cup in Glasgow? How difficult maybe has that been to manage emotionally?

ANDY MURRAY: I only thought about it at about 5-2 today, to be honest, in the second set. I wasn't thinking about it before the weekend or during any of the doubles matches or anything. I kind of realized that, yeah, as I was playing the match.

Yeah, felt that a little bit at the end. I lost my focus a bit and felt a little bit emotional about that. But, yeah, I wasn't thinking about that throughout the rest of the week I guess probably because there was always another match coming as well.

Had I not played on the first day, there was always a possibility I might play on Friday. If we lost on Wednesday, with the conversations we had, there might be still a chance I might play singles or doubles on the other days, as well.

Didn't really think about it until today.

Q. I don't know if you have been asked this at any other stage this past week, but with your profile in the UK, and the last time the Queen was at Wimbledon, for a period you escorted her around or hosted her, have you received an invitation to the funeral?

ANDY MURRAY: I haven't, no.