'Still able to compete with best players, am surprised': Andy Murray ahead of Citi Open

Andy Murray. Pic/AFP

Ahead of the upcoming Citi Open, the former World No. 1 Andy Murray said that it "surprised" him that his game is still able to match up with the best players. Andy Murray has experienced his fair share of losses since a hip surgery in 2019.

Murray is demonstrating to himself and the rest of the world that, regardless of the outcome, he still competes on par with the world's top athletes. That accomplishment alone is a triumph for someone who is 36 and competes with a metal hip.

"I'm surprised by that sometimes, because I know how difficult it is for me physically now. That my game is still able to match up and compete with the best players, yeah, I'm surprised by it," Murray, who is competing this week at the Citi Open, exclusively told ATPTour.com.

Murray, who is ranked No. 42 in the ATP Rankings, is notable for having defeated tough opponents Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis in two five-set matches in this year's Australian Open. But the Scot is still making a lot of effort to not just compete with the greatest, but to outperform them on the biggest platforms in the world.

"It's hard because ultimately, I would say in maybe certain events or certain periods of the year, it's easier to not ignore the results, but not place too much emphasis on them. But obviously, when you play in the major competitions, they are the ones that ultimately you want to perform well in and that you will get judged on and at Wimbledon, it really wasn't like I played a really bad match against Tsitsipas. So when I reflect on that tournament, I'm disappointed with the result," Murray said.

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"But there's still signs for me there that from a tennis perspective, I can still compete and win against the top players in the world, even though I lost that match. If I'd gone out and lost 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, I played terribly and lost comfortably, the stage of my career that I'm at, maybe I'd start to look at things a bit differently," said the former World No. 1. In his outstanding career, Murray has accomplished a lot more, climbed to World No. 1, claimed three major championships, and more.

However, despite the challenges he has encountered, the 46-time tour-level champion is still looking for ways to improve. "Obviously, the game always keeps evolving, keeps improving, and you need to do that as well as a player. And I enjoy that. It's one of the things that motivates me - trying to improve - whether that's on the court or in the gym," Murray said.

"Like seeing my scores in the gym are improving or that my speed is getting a bit better, or [that] I'm serving at a slightly higher percentage or harder, I love that. It's one of the great things about tennis in that that's kind of down to me and my team. I can make that those changes if I want to, and if I'm willing to put the work in, and I still enjoy that," he added.

Murray reached the final in Washington that year, and he will be hoping for another strong showing this week in the nation's capital. The 15th seed is eager to make a strong start to his hard-court season after training hard to improve his fitness in order to get ready for the hot and muggy conditions this swing brings. He will take on Brandon Nakashima or Aleksandar Vukic in the opening round.

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