Andy Murray: ‘There were maybe times last year where…’

Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis put on a real show at the Margaret Court Arena. A show that allowed both to make history at the Australian Open and in tennis. A show, once again, that took the Briton even further in the history of this sport. The former number one in the world, thanks to this victory, becomes the player still active who has made the most comebacks after losing by two sets. There are 11 matches in total in which he has come back from two sets down in his career, no one like him. Fabio Fognini and Marin Cilic complete the podium, while the wooden medal, tied, goes to Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco. The Scottish Slam champion is still the best even taking players who have retired into account. In this case, we must add behind him Roger Federer, Boris Becker and Aaron Krickstein, with ten victories after coming back from two sets down. This is another record to be added to the long list relating to the match between Kokkinakis and Murray. It is the longest match played in both men’s careers, at 5 hours and 45 minutes. It is the second longest match in Australian Open history, after the 2012 final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. It is also the third game that ends after four in the morning. However, Andy Murray does not agree with the schedule of this Australian Open: “I don’t know who benefits. In a game like this, yes, we come here after the game, and that’s what’s discussed, rather than the epic Murray-Kokkinakis game. Surprisingly, people stayed until the end. I really appreciate that people do it, that it creates a fantastic atmosphere, but there are people who have to work the next day and it’s ungodly hours. If my son was a kid playing soccer in a tournament and he came home at 5 in the morning, as a parent I would be upset.”

Andy Murray opens up on his future

Andy Murray has signaled his intent to keep playing tennis at the highest level. “I think obviously you never know exactly when the end is going to be. I would like to go out playing tennis like this, where I’m competing with the best players in the world in the biggest events and doing myself justice,” Andy Murray said. “There were maybe times last year or so where I didn’t really feel like I was playing well, and I didn’t enjoy the way that I was playing. Yeah, those sacrifices and that effort that I put in allowed me to get through those matches and play at a high level that I think was entertaining for the people watching,” he said.