Andy Murray recently admitted to being "bored" by the retirement question that has been floated around at almost every press conference he's been part of this year.
Murray was competing at this week's Dubai Championships, a tournament he has won in the past during his heydays. However, he was eliminated in the second-round stage by an in-form Ugo Humbert, who was not only 11 years younger but also playing the best tennis of his life.
In his first-round match against Denis Shapovalov (which Murray won), he hinted at a possible retirement when he claimed that he had a "few months" left of his career. It was a claim that gave journalists something to cling to during the press conference.
And in the aftermath of his Dubai exit, Murray laid bare the fact that he will hang up his racket for good this year, stating that he's "very likely" not going to play past the summer.
Whether that will be at the 2024 Paris Olympics in late July, where he will be gunning for a remarkable third gold medal, or a befitting sendoff at Wimbledon is unclear, as Murray preferred not to delve into his decision.
His mother, Judy Murray, was left fuming upon seeing her son bombarded by the same question in every presser. She took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to urge journalists to refrain from bringing the discourse and instead be appreciative of the work he has done even with a surgically repaired hip.
"Every single press confernece he is asked the same question. When he started on @atptour it was “ah but when r u going to win Wimbledon?” Every single time. Let him enjoy whatever time is left of his career. He is 50 in the world, has a metal hip, a bipartite patella + 4 kids."