DUBAI, 28 Feb: Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray reiterated Monday that he is likely to retire from tennis before the season is over.
“I’m likely not going to play past this summer,” the 36-year-old Murray said after losing 6-2, 6-4 to fifth-seeded Ugo Humbert at the Dubai Championships.
After rallying past Denis Shapovalov in three sets on Monday for his 500th hard-court win, the 36-year-old Murray hinted he was heading into the “last few months” of his career.
And he expanded a bit on those plans after the loss to Humbert, although stopped short of setting a firm timeline for when he might retire.
“I get asked about it after every single match that I play, every single tournament that I play. I’m bored of the question, to be honest,” Murray said. “I’m not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop. But, yes, I don’t plan on playing much past this summer.”
Humbert didn’t face a break point before converting his first match point to reach the quarterfinals and secure a first career win over Murray, who lifted the trophy in Dubai in 2017.
Murray, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme earlier Wednesday he would still like to play at the Paris Games, which run from July 26-Aug. 11.
“Hopefully I can get the chance to compete at another (Olympics),” said Murray, who also won the U.S. Open in 2012.
In other early second-round matches, second-seeded Andrey Rublev, the 2022 champion, advanced to the quarterfinals of the hard-court tournament for the fifth straight time after eliminating Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4.
Seventh-seeded Alexander Bublik also progressed with a 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2) win over Tallon Griekspoor.
Later Wednesday, defending champion Daniil Medvedev will be in action against Lorenzo Sonego. (AP)