Andy Murray declared he was “proud” after he won his first match of the 2024 season and ended a six-match losing streak with his opening round victory in Doha.
The three-time Grand Slam champion expressed that the last few months have been “really tough on the court” and expressed his hope that this win would start a better run.
Murray defeated world No 75 Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-6(5) in the first round of the Qatar Open in Doha on Tuesday to secure his first competitive victory since October.
Prior to the match, the world No 50 had lost all four of his matches in 2024 and nine of his last 10 outings going back to September during a brutal run of form.
The 36-year-old broke twice enoute to winning the first set in convincing fashion, but it was not without drama as he received treatment for a knee injury early on.
In a conversation with the trainer during a medical timeout, Murray said: “I had something similar to this in December. It was like a bruise…that’s the only time I’ve had it. I don’t know if it is….I’ve got some pain here and there but the last few days I’ve had some pain.”
In the second set, the Brit broke to go 4-3 ahead, but lost his serve in the following game, before the set went to a tiebreak. Murray showed his composure to recover from 4-2 and 5-3 behind in the tiebreak to take it 7-5 to seal a long-awaited triumph.
In his on court interview, Murray said: “The last few months have been really tough on the court for me. I’ve not won many matches and lost a lot of close ones as well.
“It was getting tight at the end there as well, so delighted to get through. So many people came out to watch for a first round, which is brilliant.
“I’m just proud I managed to get through the match and get another win under my belt and happy for my team, who have been working extremely hard with me to get through these difficult moments, and hopefully this is the start of a better run.”
TFW: you get your first win of 2024 🥳🤣@andy_murray #QatarExxonMobilOpen pic.twitter.com/3TwmuKPYUc
The former world No 1 also gave his thoughts on 18-year-old rising star Jakub Mensik, who he will face in the second round of the ATP 250 event.
“I saw a bit of his match today and he’s a very promising young player. Huge serve, moves well for a big guy and he’s new on the tour,” Murray added.
“Every tournament and every match will be a learning experience and a great opportunity to show his stuff. I will need to be ready for that and watch a bit of video.”