Sir Andy Murray may have lost the final of the Sydney Open to an impressive Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-3 but what does the rest of the season have in store for him?
After a gruelling week consisting of four wins on his way to the final, the British number three must quickly recharge his batteries ahead of the Australian Open.
In Melbourne Murray will have to contest the best of five sets, adding extra importance to keep the points and matches shorter, to conserve energy throughout the tournament.
The former world number one will no doubt take a lot of confidence from the week he has had. Nearly three years to the day that Murray stunned the world that he would be retiring from tennis due to long standing hip problems he has since defied expectations.
Following a hip-resurfacing operation to insert a metal hip, Murray won the Queens doubles title that year in 2019 alongside friend and talented grass-court specialist, Feliciano Lopez.
He also appeared alongside Serena Williams at Wimbledon, in a mixed-doubles dream team to make any tennis fan foam at the mouth. Most impressively, however, later that year he beat fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka from a set down to win in Antwerp.
Since then, a worldwide pandemic has disrupted sport but this hasn’t stopped Sir Andy. Last year, Murray crept into form securing notable wins over Roger Federer’s Wimbledon conqueror Hubert Hurkacz and ATP rising stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The 34-year-old ended 2021 by beating old rival Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the Abu Dhabi Mubadala Championships before falling short in the final against the talented Andrey Rublev.
However, something seems different with Murray this year. Is it the sharp new haircut or the colourful Castore clothing? Or is he simply enjoying his tennis again?
By stringing together more matches on court, Murray’s form and fitness have increased dramatically. He may have looked forlorn and disappointed that it was not him who lifted the Sydney Open trophy yesterday, but he had a glint in his eye to suggest he is back and fighting for the best tennis trophies in the world again.
