Andy Murray had seen “the end” before at the Australian Open. In 2019, it was thought he was waving goodbye after a five-set defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut – until the decision to undergo hip resurfacing surgery allowed the three-time grand slam champion to embark on this final stage of his career. And so the tribute video played then on the big screen at the Rod Laver Arena did not mark his retirement. Perhaps the file is still somewhere in Melbourne Park.
Five years later, it could be needed again, with Murray closer to the end now than he has been at any point since returning to the sport following a demoralising straight-sets defeat to Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the opening round. If Murray’s performance painted a bleak picture of how far away the 36-year-old is from challenging at the top of the sport, his words revealed an even starker truth: Murray was subdued and “flat” – and he did not know why.
