LAVER CUP

September 23, 2022

Andy Murray

Press Conference

A. De MINAUR/A. Murray

5-7, 6-3, 10-7

Team Europe - 2

Team World - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Bad luck. Before we get into the match, could you put into perspective what's going on here this evening? It's not a sort of normal evening's tennis, is it?

ANDY MURRAY: No, it's not. Yeah, it's difficult. It's surreal, yeah, playing a match like with everything that's going on, and yeah, having Bjorn Borg on the side of the court and John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg was in the crowd, obviously all of the teams, as well, and having them supporting you and talking to you during the matches and everything. Yeah, it was incredible. You know, one of the most special matches that I have played, to be honest.

I felt very tired at the end of the match. I think like emotionally the last few days, I don't know exactly why, because it's not me that's finishing playing, but yeah, like, the guys that are here and obviously a lot of the questions have been directed about this sort of period of tennis, and I know I'm a small part of, you know, what these last sort of 15 years of tennis has been.

Yeah, like I have thought a lot about my own career and the matches that I played and talked to the guys, Roger, Rafa, Novak, about the matches that we played against each other, and I have never done that consistently or as much as we have the last few days.

I gave everything on the court today. I tried my hardest. I was really disappointed not to get the win, but I gave everything. I was really tired (smiling). You know, after probably about a set and a half I was struggling, but I gave my all and it was fun.

Q. How much of that advice do you listen to when you've got three or four voices, many of them top-10 players, Grand Slam champions, telling you what you might want to do at the change of ends?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I think, you know, sort of what my feeling in terms of how it worked was that the guys came over and were giving me encouragement, and then I would ask, like, Are you noticing anything? Is there anything you think? And then would take that in.

Sometimes I was maybe in a good position and I was just getting encouragement from them. Yeah, of course you listen to -- I mean, these are some of the best minds ever in the game. I think it's something that people maybe don't talk about enough with them, you know, is their tennis IQ and their understanding of the game and moments and matches and how to play and figuring things out a bit whilst you're out there.

So absolutely, yeah, you listen to them. And, yeah, it meant a lot, you know, playing a tennis match and looking over and seeing those guys, like, supporting you, wanting you to win and trying to help.

Yeah, it's something that, you know, I have never experienced that before obviously as I have not played in this event, and I know, you know, when the event started there was me probably a bit as well like skeptical about that side of things, but being part of it was really, really special.

Yeah, something I'll remember for a long time.

Q. Specifically about yourself during the match, you said you were a bit tired. Were you starting to cramp? Was there also a bit of a second wind that you got during the third set?

ANDY MURRAY: I mean, obviously when you get closer to the finish line in a match like that, obviously it becomes a little bit easier. I mean, I think I messed the tiebreak up a little bit, to be honest. You know, I got slightly unfortunate a couple of net cords from his side and a couple of mistakes on my own side.

Yeah, physically I was struggling, like I said, and when that happens, obviously like shot selection decision-making becomes more challenging, because you're thinking a little bit more about trying to end points quicker. Against someone like him who moves as well as he does, that doesn't normally spell good news.

You know, you need to pick your moments well against him, and towards the end of that second set, I did have some chances to break back. You know, didn't get them, and then the tiebreak, you know, like I said, what I felt happened. But, yeah, it was a tough match physically. A lot of long points, a lot of long rallies.

Yeah, I did feel these last few days like they have been unbelievably special, obviously, but like I said, like, yeah, I have used up a lot of emotions as well, and I did feel that a bit at the end of the match.

Q. You're talking about some of the voices of people that were talking to you during the match, the voices you heard. Anything particularly that stood out or anybody you were particularly drawn to when they were giving you the advice or some pointers?

ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, it's not one person in particular, to be honest. I mean, you know, obviously I spoke to probably Novak the most during the match, but all of the guys were supporting really well.

Yeah, there wasn't one voice in particular. Yeah, different moments in the match where you look over and you get eye contact with sometimes Tsitsipas, sometimes Federer, sometimes Bjorn Borg, and it's like, it's just -- I just wish I could have had just a little bit more energy to feed off that a bit more at the end of the match, because it was really helping, and I did find it so incredible.

And, yeah, just ran out of a bit of steam at the end, and they were trying to encourage me to try and, you know, sort of increase my energy levels and stuff at the end of the set, and I did try in the end of the second, but I was tired, yeah.