'I won’t quit': Andy Murray lashes out at retirement suggestion

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray refuted suggestions that he could “damage his legacy” if he continued playing despite enduring a third straight first-round exit to kick off the season. Having suffered an early Australian Open exit this year, Murray had to face criticism.

Earlier this week, the three-time Grand Slam winner was defeated by Benoit Paire in Montpellier. Murray’s elimination forced a BBC reporter to ask, “At what point does bravely soldiering on start to damage his legacy?”

The criticism did not go down well with Murray, who responded to it in a befitting manner on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

“Tarnishing my legacy? Do me a favour. I’m in a terrible moment right now I’ll give you that. Most people would quit and give up in my situation right now. But I’m not most people and my mind works differently. I won’t quit. I will keep fighting and working to produce the performances I know I’m capable of,” Murray wrote.

Tarnishing my legacy? Do me a favour. I’m in a terrible moment right now I’ll give you that. Most people would quit and give up in my situation right now. But I’m not most people and my mind works differently. I won’t quit. I will keep fighting and working to produce the… https://t.co/nF0var6IfL

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) January 30, 2024

Former American tennis player Andy Roddick also came out in support of Murray and stated that the Scott’s accomplishments will live forever. “Preach! Imagine telling an accomplished iconic adult your opinion on what they should choose for work and when they should do it. This is such a dumb, thirsty article. Can’t take a legacy away. Accomplishment lives forever,” the former US Open champion wrote in response.

Preach! Imagine telling an accomplished iconic adult your opinion on what they should choose for work and when they should do it …. This is such a dumb, thirsty article. Can’t take a legacy away. Accomplishment lives forever

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) January 30, 2024

Murray restarted his professional career with renewed vigour after having hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019. But his performance in the post-surgery phase has not been as impressive. The 36-year-old struggled to pull off anything significant at the top events. Murray, a five-time finalist at the Australian Open, failed to reach beyond the third round of a Grand Slam since the Wimbledon quarters back in 2017.

Murray had a dull outing at the recently concluded Australian Open having crashed out of the competition in the first round. The former World No. 1 was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 by the 30th-seed Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The loss marked Murray’s second opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam in 16 years.