Andy Murray: I was not at my fittest this year, I have to improve and come back fitter in 2021
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Updated 03/12/2020 at 11:13 GMT
Former world number one Andy Murray said that he had not trained or eaten to his usual high standards in 2020 and that cost him his fitness and his form in a season hit by the coronavirus and injury struggles. He vowed that he would put in the work to come back fitter in 2021, and denied suggestions of an imminent retirement.
Andy Murray of Great Britain looks on during a match against Fernando Verdasco
Image credit: Getty Images
Andy Murray has admitted that his training during 2020 left him in a poorer condition than he was in before his hip surgery.
Murray has contested seven matches over the whole calendar year, which was affected not just by the coronavirus pandemic but due to his own substandard performances.
He lost in the first round to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open in straight sets, leading to Mats Wilander claiming that the former world number one should not have taken a wildcard entry that could have been used by another player.
Speaking to
, Murray acknowledged that he was in worse physical shape than he had been in previous years.
“I got on that machine that measures your body fat after the French Open and it wasn’t good in comparison to what I’d done when I was younger,” Murray said.
I’d been working fairly hard but I could have done much better. I could have been eating healthier and sleeping better.
The 33-year-old said that he is taking stock of his preparation for the upcoming season after seeing his body fat composition. As well as problems with his commitment to training, he continues to struggle with his recovery from serious hip surgery, and has been troubled by pelvic bruising and other hip issues.
Despite his advancing years and his struggles over the last few years, Murray denied suggestions that he would be retiring in the near future. Before the coronavirus pandemic, some had speculated that the Scot would retire after competing in the 2020 Wimbledon tournament, which was ultimately cancelled.
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Masters memories, and should Andy Murray be taking wild cards?
“There’s definitely been times over the last few years where I lost that, just because of injuries and stuff. And I haven’t been working as hard as I needed to,” he said.
“I think that as you get older, you need to obviously, there’s certain things that you can do differently, but you almost need to work harder to stay in shape and spend more time with your physio.”
In an attempt to get back to something like his best, the 122nd-ranked Murray is committed to a training schedule that lasts two and a half months. That is double the normal length of time he spends in pre-season preparations.
“The one thing that hasn’t got to the level that it used to be yet is the speed and that’s the one thing that maybe won’t get to where it was. But all the other things like the strength and the endurance, they can,” he commented.
“I may never get back to being number one in the world but I want to do everything that I did when I was number one in the world to give myself the best chance to see what I can achieve.”
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