Former World No. 1 Andy Murray claimed that despite ending up as the runner-up of the 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championships, he spent some "really good few days" in Abu Dhabi. He assured the fans that "he'd come back again" and also revealed his goals for the upcoming season.
On Saturday, Andrey Rublev defeated Andy Murray in straight sets in the finals of the Mubadala Tennis Championships 2021. Rublev dominated the entire match. With his win, he became the first Russian male player to lift this trophy.
In the post-match interview, Murray highlighted that he has spent some quality time at the Mubadala Tennis Championships 2021. He played three good matches and even though he lost to Rublev, the Brit defeated the likes of Rafael Nadal and Daniel Evans at the exhibition tournament.
"Yeah, look, it's been [a] really good few days here. I got here nice and early and spent about a week here. Yeah, I always enjoy coming back, like you said, three good matches," said Murray in the interview.
Murray hailed Rublev for performing "really well" against him and congratulated him for having a "fantastic" 2021 tennis season. The Russian player won the ATP Cup, Davis Cup, and a gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for his nation this year.
"Andrey played really well today. He was fantastic in the whole of this year as well. [It's] not easy to play against him. He's got a very good game. Yeah, I enjoyed my week, it was good for me and thanks for having me back," added the Brit.
Andy Murray shares his goals ahead of the 2022 tennis season
In the same interview, Andy Murray also discussed his ambitions for the upcoming season. He emphasized that he wants to succeed against the top players at the biggest tournaments in 2022. The Brit said that he is working really hard to accomplish his goals.
"I have been pretty healthy last three months. I played a lot of matches, you just need to find a way of turning some of these matches against the top players around, and hopefully, I can have some big runs in the biggest tournaments. That's my goal and yeah, trying as hard as I can to do that," mentioned the former World No. 1.
When asked about his comeback to the Mubadala Tennis Championships next year, Murray, who has won the tournament twice, stated that he would not disappoint his fans and would return next year as well.
"If you guys would like me to come, of course I'd come back again," concluded the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Andy Murray will soon be seen in action at the 2022 Australian Open, a Grand Slam where he has been a runner-up on five occasions.