Andy Murray said that he may only have a few months left of his career after beating Denis Shapovalov in Dubai on Monday.
Speaking after the win, Murray, 36, said: “I probably don’t have too long left but I’ll do as best as I can these last few months.
“I still love competing and still love the game but it gets harder and harder to compete the older you get, to keep your body fit and fresh.”
Murray’s win over the Canadian was his second of the 2024 season after he endured a torrid start that saw him lose his first four matches.
The three-time grand slam champion came from a set behind on Monday to beat Shapovalov 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. It marked Murray’s 500th hard court win of his professional career, according to the LTA.
The Scot had earlier hinted that this year could be his last, telling reporters at the Australian Open that it was a “definite possibility” that his defeat to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry could be his last appearance at the major.
However he has also railed against outside implications that it may be time to leave the sport, in particular when a BBC reporter said after a loss to Benoit Paire in Montpellier in late January that his late-career form could “damage his legacy.”
“Tarnishing my legacy? Do me a favour,” Murray responded on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“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 returns to action in Dubai on Wednesday.