Andy Murray confessed that he is not finding enjoyment in his tennis after experiencing yet another frustrating loss to Alex de Minaur in the opening round of the Paris Masters.
Murray had been defeated in the five previous games against the Australian player, with three of those losses occurring this season. The most recent defeat took place in Beijing, where the Briton was unable to capitalize on three match points.
The previous top-ranked player appeared poised to break that streak on Monday, bouncing back from losing the first set tie-break to take a 5-2 lead in the final set.
Unfortunately, Murray was unable to secure victory in his next two service games, despite having the opportunity to do so in the second game. As a result, the 13th ranked player in the world emerged as the winner with a score of 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5 after a three-hour match.
Murray became extremely angry during the last set, causing him to knock over his drinks bottles and towel while sitting on the bench during a change of ends. He then proceeded to smash his racket on the ground after the final point.
The recent string of poor performances has caused the 36-year-old, who is a two-time Wimbledon winner, to wonder what he needs to do in order to return to his winning streak.
At the moment, I am not finding much enjoyment in terms of my feelings on the court and my performance,” stated Murray. “The past five to six months have not been very enjoyable, so I need to regain some of that joy in order to play a match with more positive energy.
“I don’t let my emotions take over when I make a good play, but when it comes to crucial moments, the determination and fighting spirit that have always been integral to my game come into play.”
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Katie Boulter, who is also British, did not have a good experience watching the match. She is the girlfriend of De Minaur. On X, which used to be called Twitter, the top-ranked British player wrote: “I have seen enough of Alex and Andy to last me a lifetime. Please, no more.”
Murray, a participant in the upcoming ATP 250 tournament in Metz, stated that he will take some time to contemplate competing for Great Britain in the Davis Cup at the end of November. He also mentioned that if he decides to continue playing, it will require extensive and consistent training in order to reach the level he desires.
Source: theguardian.com
