© Clive Brunskill / Staff
It’s a story as old as time: for the British, especially the UK media, Andy Murray is British when he wins, he’s Scottish when he loses. Or worse yet, in times of difficulty.
But I am of the opinion that the British people (including the media) should be proud of what Sir Andy has achieved during his glorious career. In tennis it was difficult for anyone, considering the dominance of the Big 3 Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
The very serious hip injury in 2017 compromised his professional life, definitively threatening his career. but the fact of seeing him still fighting on the tennis courts should be a source of inspiration for all young players approaching tennis.
From the slow return to the top 40 of the ATP world rankings to the inability to win. For Murray, returning to play on the pitch after the ordeal due to hip injuries and the long absence from the Tour was already a victory.
Thanks to his great determination and his dispassionate love for tennis. In 2023, however, the British tennis player had also managed to go further, reaching the 38th position in the ranking. Today the situation seems decidedly more complicated, and winning even just one match has become a titanic undertaking for Murray.
Andy. Murray. That’s the tweet.@DDFTennis | #DDFTennis | @andy_murray pic.twitter.com/Bp0gPNPRBb
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 26, 2024
Having returned from this difficult moment, the 3-time Slam champion spoke about his situation, criticizing the treatment he received from journalists after his latest uninspiring results.
“It’s been a difficult period, but I will continue to play. I don’t have to do what the journalists or the fans say. I have the necessary ranking to play important tournaments, I have earned it, and my desire is to keep trying. I know I can play a lot better than I did this year. This is a new situation for me and I see it as a good opportunity to learn important lessons and continue to improve.
I am convinced that I will overcome it and that I will be stronger than before in doing so. I still really enjoy everything about the circuit and have not lost the desire to continue racing. In life there are times when things aren’t going well and you have to be strong to try to change the dynamic. That’s what I’m going to try to do,” he explained.
After the defeat against Tomas Machac in Marseille, the Scot had had some words of comfort.
“I did certain things a little better than in Montpellier. He played a good match, he served very well, with a lot of precision. I would have liked to have responded better. I expected to suffer against a player who likes these conditions on indoor courts .
As far as I’m concerned, the only way is to find solutions to win matches. You can also work in training, on the game and on the sensations. But what happens in training doesn’t always translate into the match. We need to continue playing in tournaments, in competition, that’s the only thing that matters. If necessary also in the Challengers.”
But things can change.
Why does the UK media still not give Murray the right tribute?
And in the meantime, at almost 37 years old, Murray writes other important personal records. In the face of those who criticize him!
At the Dubai tournament, the Scotsman reached 500 victories on hard courts. Only Roger Federer (783), Novak Djokovic (700), Andre Agassi (592) and Rafael Nadal (518) did better than him in the Open Era. A goal that arrived precisely in one of the most complicated moments of his career and which could represent a decisive factor in the coming months.
Murray made an important comeback against Denis Shapovalov and will meet Ugo Humbert in the round of 16 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ 🔥@andy_murray pic.twitter.com/YaG3R2QqCu
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) February 26, 2024
“Obviously hard courts have always been a great surface to play on for me over the years. 500 wins is a lot and I’m proud of that statistic. There are not many players who have reached this milestone. It’s great to have won my 500th hard court match before my retirement,” Murray told the ATP website before analyzing the match against Shapovalov.
“Denis and I haven’t won many matches lately. He missed most of last season. He plays and serves very well. You have to find the right balance to manage his shots, but you can’t just try to hit the ball the other way of the pitch. I managed to do it really well today, especially at the end,” he explained.
Murray says he’s proud, and he’s right. And the British should be too. Even the British media.
