Roger Federer recently expressed hope that Andy Murray will prolong his career for a little longer. The Swiss maestro wants the Brit to take inspiration from his age-adjacent peers — Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal — both of whom have previously overcome injury after injury.
Murray began his year on a tough note, losing three of his first ten matches. The former World No. 1 then appeared to be in good form at the Miami Masters in March, as he won back-to-back matches for the first time in the season. Unfortunately, he tore his ankle ligaments during his hard-fought third-round loss to Tomas Machac.
Two months later, Andy Murray made his return to the ATP Tour at the end of the European claycourt swing. The 37-year-old is now looking to do well in the grass season, after which he will likely retire from pro tennis if his comments from the Dubai Open in February are to be believed.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m likely not going to play past this summer,” Andy Murray told the media in Dubai. “I’m not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop. But yeah, I don’t plan on playing much past this summer.”
Roger Federer, however, is beckoning the three-time Major winner to not hang up his racket just yet. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Swiss, who hung up his racket at the 2022 Laver Cup, asserted that the prospect of retirement can be tough for tennis players.
From a fan’s perspective, the 20-time Major winner hoped that Murray, like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, would find motivation to fight for glory on the ATP Tour.
“This is so deeply personal, retirement. At that moment of when you take that decision, how you do that decision. Everybody is in a completely different circumstance,” Roger Federer told BBC Breakfast. “Family wise, mental, body, whatever the state is. So, this is where only himself and his closest people can give advice. I hope Andy, like Rafa, like Novak, can hopefully keep on playing forever. Like a fan, I see it that way.”
Andy Murray on his career achievements at the French Open: “I did really well here over the years”
Andy Murray’s most-recent loss at a Major came to Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the 2024 French Open in late May. During his post-match press conference, the Brit fielded questions about his legacy in Paris.
Murray reached a final, four semifinals, and two quarterfinals in his twelve-career appearances on the terre battue. The 37-year-old insisted that while his results in Paris waned in comparison to the likes of Nadal and Djokovic, he took pride in how well he did at the tournament.
“I did really well here over the years. You know, a lot of the results and stuff that I think the issue for me is that when you compare it to, like, what Rafa or Novak achieved in the same time, it obviously is minuscule in comparison…” Andy Murray said during his press conference in Paris. “But yeah, I’m proud of the results that I had here. I had great memories.”
