Andy Murray
Andy Murray will return to action at the ATP 250 event in Doha, Qatar in February after the Australian Open prompted a clear hint over retirement.
Andy Murray has been named on the entry list for the ATP 250 tournament in Doha next month. His recent Australian Open exit placed fresh doubts over his future in the sport but his return to the court has now been decided.
Murray, who turns 37 in May, was well beaten in the first round of the first Grand Slam of the year. After a tame performance, he admitted retirement was drawing closer and his emotional on-court interview prompted questions over whether he would continue playing.
But while the net is closing, he has decided he will be back in action in Qatar as the ATP 250 event in Doha begins on February 19. Murray has been named on the entry list, which also features Rafael Nadal as he returns after withdrawing from the Australian Open due to injury.
After his recent exit at Melbourne Park, Murray said: “Not much went right, to be honest, from the beginning. It was a poor performance. It was, like, very, very flat.”
Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics or the US Open have all been viewed as farewell options for Murray. He admitted that date could come sooner – but has now decided on a return on Doha to keep on playing.
“I have an idea of what I would probably like to finish playing,” he said after being knocked out in Australia. “Yeah, so much of that depends on how you’re playing.
“The time frame for that narrows when you play and have results like today. Look, I know that Tomas is a really, really good player. I’m aware of that. Even if I play well today, I can still lose the match. It’s just the nature of the performance that makes you question things.
“I haven’t gained in belief from today’s match that at some stage I’m going to start playing really well again or winning tournaments or getting to the latter stages of major events.
“Last year was a slightly different story. Physically I held up well against two really good players. Yeah, very different situation sitting here. So the time frame narrows a little bit for me to, yeah, get to a level that I want to be at.”
Asked about consulting his family and coaching team before making a decision, Murray added: “I’ve spoken to them about it. I’ve spoken to my family about it. I’ve spoken to my team about it. Well, yeah, they’re very aware of how I feel about things, where I would like to finish playing, when that would be.
“I haven’t made any definite decisions on that. Yeah, it’s obviously something that I need to think about and see exactly when that is.
“I have spoken to my team about it. I’ve spoken to my family about it multiple times. It’s not like it hasn’t been something that’s been on my mind.”
For now, he has decided to get back on the court in Doha. But how he performs in that tournament after his Australian Open disappointment could have major ramifications for how many more tournaments Murray plays.
