“Andy Murray concluded his 2023 season on a somber note, acknowledging a lack of enjoyment in his tennis. Despite this, the former world No. 1 is determined not to retire, gearing up for a return to the ATP Tour in 2024.”
The three-time Grand Slam winner has been confirmed for next year’s Brisbane International and he is setting his sights high as he is gunning for a third title at the ATP 250 event.
“It’s great to see the Brisbane International back and I am really looking forward to returning to Queensland this summer,” the 36-year-old said.
“I have great memories of winning the title in 2012 and 2013 and I would love to lift the trophy again for a third time in Brisbane.”
Andy Murray’s upbeat comments are a far cry from his recent remarks following a disappointing second half of the 2023 season that saw him win just six matches after Wimbledon.
After returning to the top 40 in the ATP Rankings in June, Murray went through a slump and ended the year with a 16-17 win-loss record with his form since the US Open pretty disastrous.
The veteran picked up just two wins and lost five matches with his final defeat of the year coming in the first round of the Paris Masters last week as he squandered a match point against Alex de Minaur to go down in three sets.
He admitted after the match “there’s not much positivity” and called an end to his season as he withdrew from this week’s Moselle Open in Metz.
“I’m not really enjoying it just now in terms of how I feel on the court and how I’m playing,” he lamented. “The last five, six months haven’t been that enjoyable, so I need to try to find some of that enjoyment back because playing a match like that, there’s not much positivity there.
“When I play a good point, I’m not really getting behind myself and then, in the important moments, that will to win and fight that has always been quite a big, big part of my game…”
But suggestions that he was about to call it a day and hang up his tennis racket for good are wide off the mark as he has now confirmed he will return to competitive tennis next year with the Brisbane event first on his calendar.
Murray won’t be the only high-profile player in action at the event as he will be joined in the singles main draw by current world No 8 Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov.
The women’s draw will feature four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.
