Four years ago, British tennis star Andy Murray called a press conference at the Australian Open to announce his retirement as he was set to undergo hip surgery. He held back tears as he delivered the shocking news.
Fast forward to Jan. 17, 2023, with Murray completing one of the biggest upsets in his career at the Australian Open. The three-time Grand Slam champion, who now has a metal hip, took down No. 13 Matteo Berrettini in a thriller five-set first round match 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(10–6) to capture his 50th career Australian Open win.
In the fifth set, the 35-year-old even saved match point, and then forced the set into tiebreak.
Murray, who is normally his toughest critic, admitted how “proud” he was of himself for winning the match over a tough competitor, especially at age 35 and considering his medical history.
“I was impressed with myself, which again, I’m hard on myself usually,” Murray said in his post-match press conference. “Tonight, I need to give myself some credit because the last few years have been tough. I’ve lost a few of those type of matches. … I stayed strong and I deserved to win.”
The four-hour, 49 minute match is already being considered a contender for best match of the season, even this early in the year.
It’s unknown at this time who Murray will play in the second round, but fans can expect to see another strong performance on the court from the five-time Australian Open finalist.
