Andy Murray Admits He Was Worried About Life After Retiring From Professional Tennis Last Year

Andy Murray retired from professional tennis at the Paris Olympics last year.

Andy Murray Admits He Was Worried About Life After Retiring From Professional Tennis Last Year

Andy Murray (Image via X)

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Andy Murray has been very much in the spotlight in the tennis world despite not being a professional tennis player anymore. The British icon ended his tennis career at the Paris Olympics last year after playing doubles with Dan Evans.

Murray, who also just competed in doubles at Wimbledon, says that he was worried about how his life would develop after tennis. However, all is well so far for the former World No. 1. Murray said on The Romesh Ranganathan Show:

I was very concerned about life after tennis, but now that I’m in it… I love it. At the beginning of my career, when I tried to be myself, some things I said were exaggerated and caused controversy. It was exhausting. I lost confidence in the media and ended up closing myself off, speaking little and only thinking about playing. Today, however, the context is different.

Murray wasn’t totally away from the circuit for long as he got into coaching. In one of the most surprising developments, he was hired to coach his great rival, Novak Djokovic, from the start of the Australian Open.

There were a few good results, with Djokovic reaching the Australian Open semifinals. The Serbian beat Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the quarterfinals. Moreover, Djokovic reached the finals of the Miami Masters. But there were no titles to celebrate as the duo parted ways shortly before Roland Garros.

Andy Murray discusses the impact of pressure in sports

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray has shared his perspective on pressure in sports. The British icon knows it more than anybody else, especially when he played at Wimbledon. Murray said:

It helped to be ready to retire. Physically, I couldn’t play at the level I wanted anymore, and my body was telling me it was time. I felt like I didn’t have much left to give. Ten days before I ended my career, I looked back and thought, ‘Wow! I can’t believe I achieved all this.’

Andy Murray (2)
Andy Murray (Image via X)

Murray has won three Grand Slam titles, but his achievements were far bigger than the numbers. He reached three Wimbledon finals and won them in 2013 and 2016. Moreover, he won the US Open in 2012. The Scottish legend broke the 77-year drought of a British Grand Slam champion that year in New York.

Outside of that, he won a handful of titles elsewhere. The biggest title was the ATP Finals, where he secured the Year-End World No.1.

Andy Murray looks back on the final days of his professional tennis career

British tennis icon Andy Murray has given a recap of his unfortunate retirement from professional tennis. The three-time Grand Slam champion ended his career at the Paris Olympics. Murray added:

Looking back, if someone had told me when I was 17 or 18, ‘You’re going to play a Wimbledon final,’ I wouldn’t have cared whether I won or lost. I would have just played it. But once you get there, the pressure to win and to do well is enormous. If you lose a final, the question is: ‘Why didn’t you win? Are you mentally strong enough? Is your game good enough?’ There’s always pressure to perform. It’s one of the most beautiful things about sport, but also one of the most difficult.

Andy Murray
Andy Murray (Image via X/Wimbledon)

Murray won the opening round of Queen’s Club last year, which was his 1000th match on the ATP Tour. However, that turned out to be the last singles match as he withdrew from the following match because of a back injury.

The back injury hampered his preparations for Wimbledon. Hence, Murray could only limit himself to playing doubles. He played men’s doubles with brother Jamie Murray, and he lost in the first round.

Murray was also scheduled to play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu. However, the match was controversially canceled on the last minute as Raducanu pulled the plug on the last minute.

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