QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 20, 2024

Andy Murray

Press Conference

A. MURRAY/A. Muller

6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Andy.

Q. Congratulations on your first win of 2024. I saw some younger players that are suffering with injuries. Then they are trying to come back but they aren't having great results and pondering the thought of maybe stopping it all, like Dominic Thiem. On the other hand, you're a warrior, still in the tennis court. What's keeping the fire inside you going?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I don't know exactly. I know that I still feel motivated to try and compete and to try and improve and test myself against the best players.

Why I feel like that, I don't know, but I do. At times it's been difficult, certainly in the last months and years with, you know, the injuries, and yeah, just getting older. You know, being away from family and those things is very difficult, as well.

But, yeah, a lot of the players or ex-players I have spoken to, when they stopped playing, some of them have been my coaches, they all said, like, When it's over, it's over, and nothing will really replace that. And, yeah, you should play as long as you can whilst you're still able and enjoying it.

And, yeah, when you make the decision to stop, it's rare that players really come back. I know some of the female players have done that after having children, but I think the circumstances for me are slightly different in that I'm not going to stop at 37 and then come back when I'm 40 years old. Like, if I decide to stop, that will be it.

I don't want to have any regrets when I make that decision. I know I want to make sure it's the right time when I do finish.

Q. You looked so relieved at the end of the match, celebrating the victory. What was going through your mind? And maybe also sort of last half of that set when you had the break and finishing like this?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, obviously I was up 6-1, 4-3, and 40-15 and actually played a really good point. You know, he actually hit a really good defensive shot on that point which was really tricky, and then, you know, ended up losing that game and was obviously down in the tiebreak.

Yeah, actually I didn't play a very good tiebreak, really. Played one or two good points at the end. Started off the tiebreak very tentative. Yeah, it was close to getting away from me.

So I was sort of, I guess, relieved to win the match. Yeah, but not just because it was the first match of the year. It's just because of the way as well the match had gone. I dominated the first set. Was dominating the second set, as well. And then, yeah, almost went the other way, and I didn't play that well at the end.

So I was just sort of relieved to get through it. Would rather have not played, you know, not played a third set (smiling), because I had done enough to win in two sets really.

Q. In your last press conference, you said that most of things related to tennis came to you very easily, especially results for much of your career. Can you compare this phase where you're struggling to, you know, really play to your potential to anything else in life that you really had to struggle for? Is there any kind of parallel that you can draw on that?

ANDY MURRAY: Not as an adult, really. I mean, I'm unbelievably lucky and fortunate, yeah, with the life that I have away from the tennis court. I have everything I could want away from the tennis court.

I don't need to be playing tennis anymore if I didn't want to. I have a great family. My wife, you know, built us a lovely home to live in with our kids, and we're all healthy. Well, me not really (smiling), but the rest of my family.

So, yeah, when I was younger I had some difficult times when I was, you know, when I was a kid, but yeah, certainly not as an adult.

Yeah, tennis has really been the thing that's been the hardest, you know, struggle at times. In a slightly different way, like, when I had lost quite a few, like, big finals and stuff, it's a different sort of struggle to not winning any matches at all.

So, yeah, tennis has taught me lots of really good life lessons. And, yeah, the last few months have been another, yeah, another good one, really, about (smiling), yeah, we will, everyone goes through difficult times at some stage, and it's not easy to get out. And the only way really to find your way through it is to work hard and try and find a solution, not get too -- I probably do this, but we shouldn't, is I get too down on myself at times. But, yeah, it's been a good lesson for me the last few months.

Q. This present generation of players, the young ones, Alcaraz, Sinner, et cetera, and Rune have three Grand Slam titles, and the earlier generation of Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Zverev, they have one between them. Is there a difference that you see probably in mindset between these two generations of players?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, the Medvedev sort of generation has also been a little bit unfortunate, as well, that they were also coming up against, you know, in the early part of their career, like, Roger, Rafa, Novak, and still Novak, were still competing right at the top of the game.

I obviously know how difficult it was to win major titles with those guys still competing. I don't think it's a negative on them, but yeah, they're maybe just not quite as good as Rafa, Roger, and Novak. You know, lots of people, that would have happened in many generations, not just this one. They just have been a little bit unfortunate.

Look, the younger generation are brilliant players. Alcaraz, amazing player. Sinner, obviously brilliant as well. And there will be more young guys coming through.

But, as well, Roger stopped recently. Rafa has obviously been out injured. Novak has been the one, you know, to beat, and he's 37 years old. So at some stage there's going to be a dip and the younger players will capitalize on that and build and gain confidence from winning major events.

Yeah, once you have won one or two, yeah, we'll see how far those guys can go. But I would expect them to win a number of majors each. Not 20 to 24 but certainly multiple majors.