Andy Murray played his first match at the 2024 Cinch Championships and he gave a verdict on his level afterwards.
The British player is entering a few very interesting weeks which might just be his final weeks on the ATP Tour. He admitted recently that finishing at the Olympic Games or Wimbledon would be a fitting end to his career, so this just might be the final few weeks of his tennis career.
He doesn't know when he will retire yet, but what he does know is that he made a winning start at the Cinch Championships. It was a relatively tricky match, as he had to play three sets, but he came out on top, beating Alexei Popyrin.
It was his 1,000th match, so winning it certainly made it more memorable. A few weeks before Wimbledon, Murray assessed his level after the match, admitting that he needs confidence, and wins like this will certainly contribute to that.
"With Wimbledon a few weeks away I want to try and build up some confidence and get some matches in my legs. [Physically] I’ve felt better but it was enough today. I didn’t realise it was my 1,000th match on tour so there’s a lot of wear and tear on the body. It’s not easy but I managed to push through it."
Not feeling the sharpest physically is certainly not ideal for Murray, but it just shows that he's really at the end of the road. His career's conclusion is around the corner, and he will hope to avoid any further injuries.
As the British player noted, missing any of these upcoming big events would be tough to swallow as he wants to say goodbye standing up. For now, he'll focus on the Cinch Championships and this next match.