Andy Murray admitted he was no long enjoying playing after perhaps the most galling defeat of the season.
Murray had been leading 5-2 in the deciding set of the opening round of the Paris Masters against Alex de Minaur and even had match point before losing 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.
He repeatedly smashed his racket as his frustration spilled over on court and afterwards vented his frustration after defeat to the Australian, something of a bogey player for Murray.
“I’m not really enjoying it just now in terms of how I feel on the court and how I’m playing,” he said. “The last five, six months haven’t been that enjoyable so I need to try and some of that enjoyment back because playing a match like that there’s not much positivity there.
“When I play a good point, I’m not really getting behind myself and then in the important moments, that will to win and fight that has always been quite a big, big part of my game..."
*5-2 30-30
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 30, 2023
*5-4 40-30@alexdeminaur simply CANNOT lose to Andy Murray 😈
The Aussie extends his H2H vs the Scot to 6-0 by coming back to win 7-6 4-6 7-5 at the #RolexParisMasters! pic.twitter.com/4CSaJrKKvm
It raised question marks about the 36-year-old’s future in the sport after another painful defeat when he looked to be on course for victory over the No13 seed.
The Briton is scheduled to play in Metz but said he might rethink that before being part of the British Davis Cup team in Malaga later in the month.
Murray, who was watched in Paris by Davis Cup captain Leon Smith, said of his own future beyond this season, “If I want to keep going, I’m going to need a lot of work.
“It’s not just going to be like one or two weeks of training to get me to where I need to get to, it’s going to have to be a lot of work and consistent work to give myself a chance.”
