Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray recently stated that his recent loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas might be his last ever Wimbledon match. The emotional Murray waved goodbye to fans as he left the court and received a standing ovation from the crowd. His comments came during the post-match press conference where he admitted his future at the iconic tournament was unclear. The British player commented also on motivation struggles and the psychological effect of multiple early tournament exits.
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The match against Tsitsipas proved to be a grueling ordeal, as the three-time Grand Slam champion lost 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (2/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 in a match that lasted more than four and a half hours in all. The loss will be especially bitter for Murray given that, at one point, he was only one set off qualifying for the third round. However, the match was halted because of Wimbledon curfew and Tsitsipas managed to find his footing after the game resumed and turned the match around.
“I don’t know,” Murray said, when asked if he would return to Wimbledon. “Motivation is obviously a big thing. Continuing having early losses in tournaments like this don’t necessarily help with that.” This is a second year in a row that the legendary British player has had a disappointing time at the All England Club, and Murray says he was unsure last year if he would have the drive to attend this year’s edition of the tournament. “I had a long think about things, spoke to my family, decided to keep on going,” he said.
The former World No. 1 is a three-time Grand Slam champion, winning Wimbledon twice. His opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas is 11 years junior, and had nothing but praise and respect for the veteran, saying: “It was a very difficult game and I’m very impressed with the way he holds up.” Tsitsipas will now face Serbian Laslo Djere in the third round of the famous tournament.