British tennis hero Andy Murray is aiming at winning the Australian Open and the Roland Garros titles next year after a successful 2016 season crowned by his first Davis Cup win last week against Belgium in Ghent.
The Scotsman lost four Australian Open finals in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Last January he lost the final against Novak Djokovic 6-7 7-6 3-6 0-6. At the French Open Murray reached the semifinals three times and lost a hard-fought five-set semifinal last June against Djokovic.
Murray is bidding equal Rafael Nadal and André Agassi who are the only players to have won the four Grand Slams, the Olympic gold medal and the Davis Cup.
“Winning the Davis Cup is a huge victory for everyone in the team but for a personal point of view I don’t see it so much like ticking off another big title from a list”, said Murray.
“There are obviously still two Grand Slams I haven’t won, and the Australian Open is a tournament I would love to win because I have been close there so often, reaching the final four times. If I had got through the fifth set of my semifinal with Novak Djokovic, I would have had an opportunity to win the French Open. I am not far off on the clay. I see the Davis Cup title as a springboard for next year, to take on the attitude I had in every point and maybe get my first Aussie Open in January. The Davis Cup has been amazing this year and I would like to thank all those that have followed us. It’s been an amazing journey and we couldn’t have done it without you. Now I will have have a period of rest before I start training for the new season in a week or so”, said Murray.
Murray is among the favourites for the BBC Personality of the Year award after guiding the British team to their first Davis Cup title since 1936. The shortlist features world athletics champions Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis Hill and Greg Rutherford, boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, Tour de France winner Chris Froome, three-time swimming world champion Adam Peaty, world gymnastics champion Max Whitlock and rugby player Kevin Sinfield.
