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Andy Murray says deciding when to retire ‘not an easy decision’

Andy Murray says deciding when to retire ‘not an easy decision’
Andy Murray is the only player to have won two gold medals at the Olympics in men's singles, © PA Archive/PA Images

Andy Murray has revealed he is still unsure exactly when this summer he will retire as a tennis player.

Murray, 36, said last month that he “did not plan on playing much past this summer” and in an interview with The Times he explained why he cannot be more specific about when he hangs up his racket.

He said: “I would love the chance to play in another Olympics, but also genuinely only if I felt like there was a chance of winning a medal.

Murray beat Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro in the men’s singles final at the 2016 Olympics in Rio
Murray beat Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro in the men’s singles final at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Photo: Owen Humphreys/PA.
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“I’m also very conscious that because of how amazing my experiences at the Olympics have been, I would want to be there by right and not just take one of the other guys’ spots, because it is a brilliant opportunity.

“We have top doubles players (Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are ranked inside the world’s top 10) and also Jack (Draper), Cam (Norrie) and Evo (Dan Evans) in singles as well.”

Three-time grand slam winner

Murray, a three-time grand slam winner, who held the number one spot in the men’s singles rankings for a total of 41 weeks in the same era as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, could focus on the doubles at the Paris Olympics, which will be played on his least favourite surface, clay.

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He reached the quarter-finals in partnership with Salisbury at Tokyo 2020 and added: “When I played with Joe, I had the conversation beforehand with him that my feeling was there was a greater chance of me winning a medal in doubles than singles.”

Murray said he was “bored” of being questioned about when he will retire, saying: “It’s been happening since Wimbledon last year in most weeks. It’s something that I’ve had to talk about and entertain.

“Obviously at some stage, the end will come. It’s not an easy decision to know exactly when that will be or when it should be.”

By PA Sport Staff

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