Andy Murray is yet to win a match in 2024 but vows to keep fighting on, even if it means playing fewer ATP Tour events and dropping to the Challenger Tour; watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports with events in Marseille, Abu Dhabi, Transylvania and Dallas
Andy Murray has revealed he may drop down to the Challenger Tour after his fifth consecutive defeat on Tuesday.
Murray was beaten in straight sets by the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, which was his fourth loss in four matches this year.
The two-time Wimbledon champion will next play at the Qatar Open in Doha in the week beginning February 19 – live on Sky Sports Tennis.
“The only way is to find solutions to win matches. That can come in training, working on your game and your feelings,” Murray told French media on Tuesday.
“But what happens in training doesn’t always transfer over to matches. In 2016, when I was No 1 in the world, my coach told me I had only won two or three training sets in the whole year.
“This year, I’ve won basically all of them and I can’t win a single match! You need to perform in competition, that’s the only thing that counts. I may have to go to the Challengers.
Murray started the year with a three-set defeat to Grigor Dimitrov then lost at the Australian Open to Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
After two weeks off, the three-time Grand Slam champion travelled to the Open Sud de France but was narrowly beaten by Benoit Paire 6-2 6-7 3-6.
After that match he responded to criticism on X, formerly known as Twitter, by vowing “I won’t quit”.
Murray, who is Britain’s most successful tennis player in the Open era, was asked about his decision to hit back at criticism on social media.
“I didn’t cry in front of my phone whilst reading it but I was disappointed. People who have witnessed my career know how difficult it is to achieve what I have done after my hip problems,” he said.
“It’s not been done in other sports. I hope other players can carry on after a similar operation.
“The easiest thing for me would have been to end my career. But I carry on because I love the game. I love training.
“At the moment, it’s true, it’s not easy to compete. But what is happening at the moment is not affecting my career.
“No run of losses won’t change what I’ve done when I’ve been on form, with two hips. That’s why I was disappointed with the article. I’ve known that journalist for a long time.”
