Andy Murray: ‘I feel like I’m playing for my career each time I step on court’

Andy Murray beat Robin Haase in Rotterdam on Monday

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Andy Murray has said he feels like he’s “playing for his career” every time he steps on court following a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Robin Haase at the Rotterdam Open.

The former world No1, currently ranked 123rd in the world, said retirement was being suggested to him with every loss on the ATP Tour.

Following his latest victory, which took two-and-a-half hours to seal, Murray said: “It’s not easy. Every time I lose a match, I’m getting told to retire, that I should stop playing, that I’m finished and got nothing left or whatever, and it’s sad and all of these things.

“I feel like I’m playing for my career now, each time I step on the court, which is a motivation in some ways. But it also adds a bit of extra stress.

“There’s a bit of extra doubt there and, on top of that, I’m playing with my metal hip, which is hard. Trust me, it’s not easy. So, it’s a big challenge for me just now and one that I’ll meet head on but it’s not easy just now. The last few months have been a bit of a struggle.”

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Murray had worked hard to get himself back to full fitness for the Australian Open but he was unable to travel to the first Grand Slam of the year after contracting Covid-19.

He reached the final of his first event of 2021, the challenger in Biela, Italy, before losing in straight sets to Egor Gerasimov in the opening round of the subsequent Open Sud de France. He now potentially faces Australian Open quarter-finalist Andrey Rublev in the next round in the Netherlands.

Despite the tough start to the year, Murray said he was getting back to his best level of fitness since hip surgery.

“I know I’m physically in a better place than I was at the end of 2019, from all of the results from all of the gym work and stuff,” he said.

“When I finished in Antwerp [his last tournament win] in 2019, I felt good physically and then the next time I got on the court I had an issue with my groin and it took ages for that to get better.

“Physically, I feel good right now but you don’t know what’s around the corner and that’s the thing I’ve been more anxious and apprehensive about, more than my tennis.”

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