Andy Murray drops major retirement hint after waving goodbye to the Australian Open crowd following limp first-round straight sets defeat

Andy Murray has already discussed his exit strategy from tennis with those close to him, and that process will have been accelerated by a humbling defeat in the first round of the Australian Open.

The two-time Wimbledon champion, a five-time finalist at Melbourne Park, was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 by 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry. He later revealed that the timeline is narrowing for him to say goodbye.

Murray was strangely subdued as he developed into an extremely solid, if not particularly intimidating, opponent, then cut a despondent figure. He had left the field with a 360 degree turn to swing at all corners, and then explained the reason for that.

“It’s certainly possible that this is the last time I play here,” he said after going down after two hours and 24 minutes. “Compared to the games I played here last year, it’s the complete opposite feeling when you walk off the field.”

It is clear that the date and manner of his retirement is on his mind and while nothing is definitive, he admitted that achievements such as these can only further it.

Murray was defeated 6-4 6-2 6-2 in the first round by 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry (above)

“I have an idea of ​​when I would probably like to finish, so much depends on how you play. The time frame for that becomes smaller when you play and get results like today.”

It is not that the subject has been taboo with the team around him or with his family.

‘I talked to them about it. I have talked to my family about it several times,” he revealed. ‘I talked to my team about it. they are very aware of how I feel about things, where I would like to end up playing, when that would be.

‘I haven’t made a final decision on that yet. It’s obviously something I’ll have to think about and see when exactly that is.”

Wimbledon is the obvious place to go out, but the US Open holds a special place in his heart, being the place where he won his first Grand Slam.

What he could be absolutely clear about was that there is no future in just making up numbers and not being able to make any impact on the pitch. The contrast with 2023, when he reached the third round via dramatic comebacks, was not lost on him.

Murray looked despondent after the defeat against the Argentinian and waved goodbye to the crowd

At his post-match press conference he said: ‘It was a poor performance. It was very, very flat’

‘Last year was a slightly different story. Physically I held up well against two very good players. Very different situation as I sit here. So the time frame is getting a little shorter before I get to the level I want to be at.

‘It was a bad performance. It was very, very flat. It was a great crowd. I felt like they were trying to pick me up, support me and get behind me. Normally I would always engage the audience and get them going and bring some energy.

‘But it was a flat performance. I’m not sure why that was the case because I felt good going in. I played quite well in Brisbane. I’ve been practicing really well for the past ten days.

‘Tomas is a very good player. I am aware of it. Even if I play well today, I can still lose the match. It is simply the nature of the performance that makes you doubt.’