'I'll do my best': Andy Murray suggests imminent end to tennis career

Andy Murray has suggested he might only have "a few months" left of his tennis career after Monday's win in Dubai.

The two-time Wimbledon winner, 36, dug deep to secure a second win of 2024 with a 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory over Denis Shapovalov in the first round of the Dubai Open.

Murray has been forced to fend off retirement talk following a string of first-round defeats and looked set for another when Shapovalov, a former top-10 player, claimed the opening set.

But after the win against Shapovalov, the Scotsman said: "I probably don't have too long left but I'll do as best as I can these last few months."

"I still love competing and still love the game but it gets harder and harder to compete the older you get, to keep your body fit and fresh," he said.

Murray had struggled to breach the serve of his 24-year-old opponent, but produced a trademark gutsy display to edge a second-set tie-breaker and kept his composure to break twice in the decider to secure a much-needed win after two hours and 33 minutes.

In January, Murray made it known he had no plans to call time on his career, vowing: “I won’t quit.”

He was dumped out of the first round in both the Brisbane International and Australian Open, inviting some speculation on social media has to whether he'll continue playing.

Murray responded to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by saying: “Tarnishing my legacy? Do me a favour. I’m in a terrible moment right now I’ll give you that.

“Most people would quit and give up in my situation right now. But I’m not most people and my mind works differently.

“I won’t quit. I will keep fighting and working to produce the performances I know I’m capable of.”

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