"I would like to go out playing tennis like this" - Andy Murray wants to keep 'competing with the best players' despite Australian Open exit

Andy Murray has signaled his intent to keep playing tennis at the highest level following a couple of exemplary performances at the 2023 Australian Open. Although Murray exited the tournament on Saturday after losing to Bautista Agut in four sets, he feels he can take heart from his five-set wins over Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

The three-time Major champion has consistently battled to return to the upper echelon of men's tennis following his second hip surgery in 2019. But he has encountered numerous hurdles and setbacks in a journey that has not been made easier by the fact that he plays with a metal hip.

He has had to make numerous sacrifices over the past couple of years, including putting in extra effort during his training sessions. But at 35 years of age, the former World No. 1 is not getting any younger, meaning his career is drawing to a close even though the Brit still has a few sparks left in him.

Speaking to the media after losing to Bautista Agut, Andy Murray stressed that he wants to end his career on his terms, taking on and beating top players on a regular basis.

"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.

Murray then mentioned that he was disappointed with his level of tennis for the most part last year. But he believes all his efforts and sacrifices are finally beginning to pay dividends, as evidenced by his performances at the 2023 Australian Open.

"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.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist firmly believes he can still cause some "damage" when he plays his best tennis.

"I felt good about the way that I was playing. It's more enjoyable for me when I'm playing like that, when I'm coming into a major event and really believing that I can do some damage," the Brit said.

Murray reckons he can make a deeper run at Slams but for that to happen, he admitted that it is important for him to improve his ranking.

"But, yeah, I can have a deeper run than the third round of a Slam, there's no question about that. Obviously draws can open up for you. I need to also help myself with that. If I was playing at this level last year, I probably wouldn't be ranked 50, 60 in the world. It's up to me to try and change that," he concluded.

"Serving was the thing that was giving me the most trouble" - Andy Murray

Andy Murray in action against Roberto Bautista Agut at the 2023 Australian Open

Andy Murray spent just over 14 hours on the court for his three matches at the 2023 Australian Open. To put this in context, Rafael Nadal needed only 12 hours to win the seven matches that saw him pocket the 2017 French Open title.

Naturally, the Brit looked in immense pain at certain moments during his match against Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday. During his post-match press conference, the five-time Australian Open runner-up revealed that he was struggling to serve properly due to a back problem.

"Serving was the thing that was giving me the most trouble. I mean, my back was uncomfortable. I couldn't really extend on my serves. I couldn't hit a kick serve," Andy Murray said.

"I couldn't really sort of extend my back on the serve to generate much power on the first serve. Wasn't able to really drive up to it. That was the thing that was uncomfortable," he added.