Andy Murray 'looking forward to the end' after emotional defeat to Tomas Machac at Miami Open

Andy Murray 'looking forward to the end' after emotional defeat to Tomas Machac at Miami Open

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Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 25/03/2024

- 08:04

The Briton lost in three sets and cut an emotional figure following the contest

Andy Murray has admitted he's 'looking forward to the end' after crashing out of the Miami Open on Sunday night.

The Briton entered his clash with Tomas Machac on a high after previously beating Matteo Berrettini and Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the United States.


Murray took the first set against Machac.

However, he ended up losing the next two - with his opponent securing victory in three hours and 28 minutes.

Andy Murray Miami Open

Andy Murray put up a big fight as he crashed out of the Miami Open

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Murray was clearly hampered by injury throughout the contest and he feels he's played in the tournament for the last time.

Retirement is on the cards for the former world No 1, with many feeling he'll walk away from tennis after Wimbledon in the summer.

And Murray has admitted he's 'looking forward to the end' as he continues to look a shadow of his old self.

“I wasn’t thinking about all the matches I played," he stated.

"Just more that that’s the last match that I am going play here which is sad because I love it here.

“I’ve spent so much of my tennis career here and I would have liked it to have gone on a little bit longer.

“This tournament in particularly for me is an important one so it was a bit more emotional leaving the court today than it might be at some of the other events.

“I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family.”

He continued: “Miami has been a special place for me during my career. It’s been my tennis home really.

"I’ve done so much of my work and training and preparation here. I love the city.”

Murray can take positives from his time in Miami, however.

He won back-to-back matches for the first time since the Canadian Open last August.

And Murray insists he's proud of himself, saying: "It’s been pretty positive, there were some good signs in my game, definitely an improvement on the last few tournaments, not perfect but considering everything to be winning matches against the players I did and pushing Thomas like I did today, I’m proud of myself because it’s extremely difficult to do what I’m doing with the issue that I have.

“To still be able to compete with these guys is a credit to myself and the work that I’ve done and the effort that I’ve put into this to keep myself in this position.”

Former tennis star Tim Henman, meanwhile, has told fans to enjoy Murray while they still can.

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Andy Murray Miami Open

Andy Murray battled injury during his Miami Open defeat to Tomas Machac on Sunday

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"There's been a lot of talk around his retirement and I've always said that he should play for as long as he wants,” he said.

“There's been an indication that he's going to stop sometime in the summer and when we all look back and reflect on what he's achieved, it's absolutely incredible.

Tomas Machac

Tomas Machac was too strong for Andy Murray and won their epic showdown at the Miami Open

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"To win three Slams and two Olympic golds as well as the Davis Cup and be world No 1, it's an absolutely phenomenal achievement and I think you do have to take into account the era that he's been competing in against Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic who are three of the greatest players in the history of our sport, so he will look back with a lot of satisfaction.

"He's going to enjoy these last few months and we should enjoy watching him because I'm sure we'll miss him when he's gone."

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