'Really disappointed' - Andy Murray suggests he will not return to Australian Open unless he improves

ByHarry Latham Coyle

Published 20/01/2022 at 12:15 GMT

After exiting the Australian Open after a defeat to Taro Daniel, Murray has now failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of his last seven Grand Slam entries, and has admitted that he struggles for motivation when he is not competitive. The Scot hinted he may not return to the event in Melbourne next year.

Andy Murray has suggested that he will not return to the Australian Open in 2023 unless he is able to be more competitive at major tournaments.

The 34-year-old was knocked out in the second round in Melbourne by an impressive performance from Taro Daniel.

The Japanese qualifier, achieving a career-best Grand Slam progression, took victory in three sets as Murray struggled for fluency and intensity.

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The Scot had enjoyed a promising week and a half of performances, reaching the final of the ATP Sydney International before battling past Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of the year's first Grand Slam.

However after a relatively flat performance against Daniel, Murray conceded that his inability to progress deeper into tournaments is beginning to affect his thinking when considering whether to keep entering them.

“I mean, yeah,” Murray responded when asked whether he would like to return to the Australian Open next year. “But not if I do what I did tonight too often this season. This is a really important year for me for a number of reasons and I want to perform well in the big events. For me, tonight is not good enough in that respect.

Watch Murray's final moments at Australian Open 2022 after defeat to Daniel

“Making second rounds of slams is not something I find particularly motivating. I want to be doing better than that. It depends on how I get on this year results wise and how I perform in the big events.

"I’m really, really disappointed. Very frustrated. A tough loss for me that’s for sure.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion has now failed to reach the fourth round of any of the seven majors he has entered in the last five years, increasingly afflicted by persistent injury issues, including multiple hip surgeries.

He was one of three British players knocked out on Thursday, with Emma Raducanu and Heather Watson also exiting.

'As I'm tossing the ball' - Murray upset by camera during serve

It leaves Dan Evans as the sole British representative in the third round after the Englishman was given a walkover with Arthur Rinderknech's wrist injury rendering the Frenchman unable to play.

Evans, the 24th seed, takes on Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday.

The Canadian is seeded ninth but is yet to capture his best form in Australia, requiring five sets to win his first round encounter and then four tie-breaks to set up his meeting with Evans.

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