AGONY OVER RETIREMENT
FROM BACK PAGE Bautista Agut on Monday. Murray said: “There hasn’t been a day when I haven’t spoken to somebody about my hip in 18 months and discussion about, ‘Look, when do I stop?’
“I am aware of how difficult that’s going to be.
“It would be a lot easier for me if it was a decision I wanted to take, and my performance wasn’t how I wanted it and I just wasn’t as good as I was before and the young guys are better – therefore challenging for big tournaments and stuff is not possible any more.
“But because this is not something I want to do, I don’t feel ready, the rest of my body feels perfect, that’s the hard thing about it.
“It’s not like I wake up and my whole body’s sore and just aching and it’s too much. It’s just one problem that can’t be fixed. That’s why it’s difficult.
“I would imagine my family would be gutted for me. They know this isn’t a decision I want to take. But it’s one that I feel I have to do.
“Look, at the end of the day it’s only tennis, it’s just a game. There is more to life than that. For many reasons it’s been more than that for me. Obviously stopping the way it’s happened doesn’t sit particularly well with me. It’s not how I would want to finish playing.
“I don’t think any athlete wants that. They want to go out when they decide, not have their body telling them that is the case. That’s the hardest part of it.”
Murray became the first British man for 77 years to win a Grand Slam at the 2012 US Open. He won two Olympic golds, the Davis Cup and reached world No.1.
He said: “I don’t think I will fill that void when I retire. You can’t – well maybe you can by taking certain substances – but you can’t recreate the high of winning Wimbledon or a Davis Cup.
“As much as the lows of losing here at Melbourne for a fifth time hurts, I always had that as a motivation. Even in the low points it was something that gave me drive and motivation to get up and work hard.
“That’s something that maybe when I finish I will be happy, living a more stable life. But I don’t think I will ever be able to replace the highs and lows tennis have given me.”
It’s not the result it’s the feeling – you just kind of feel helpless on the court ANDY MURRAY