Andy Murray kicked off his Dubai Tennis Championships journey with a hard-fought victory over Denis Shapovalov, triumphing 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 on Monday, February 26.
This win holds particular significance for Murray, considering his challenging 1-5 start to the season, prompting speculation about his potential retirement. Former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors weighed in on the debate, emphasizing that the decision to retire should ultimately rest with Murray himself.
Speaking on the Advantage Connors podcast, Connors highlighted Murray’s illustrious career achievements as a testament to his greatness, asserting that outsiders can offer opinions, but only Murray knows when it’s time to step away from the game.
“There’s only one guy who’s going to know when it’s time for Andy Murray to stop and that’s him,” Connors remarked. “Yeah, you know you’ve got these armchair quarterbacks sitting back saying, you know, he’s too old, he’s too, this, he’s not what he used to be.”
Connors stressed the importance of Murray’s enjoyment of the sport and his willingness to endure the rigors of professional tennis, both physically and mentally. As long as Murray finds joy in playing and remains committed to the demands of the sport, Connors believes there’s no reason for him to consider retirement.
“If he’s still enjoying it, if he doesn’t mind the travel and, the aches and pains afterward that, uh, you know, all that entails there and that just doesn’t mean on the court, that means everything that goes into it,” Connors explained.
“You know, there’s only one guy that’s going to say, you know, say to him, don’t you think you’ve had enough and then something one day he’ll listen to himself.”
