"I hope your bosses didn’t see you on TV" - Andy Murray jokes with fans during emotional Citi Open interview
After winning his first match at the Citi Open in Washington in five years, an emotional Andy Murray thanked fans for skipping work to come see him on a Wednesday afternoon.
In the second round of the 2023 Citi Open, Andy Murray defeated Brandon Nakashima, 7-6(5), 6-4. This was Murray's first appearance on tour since his second round defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon.
After the interviewer pointed out that the stadium had a lot of fans for his match, Murray said:
"I mean, it's amazing. It's why I still play, I love playing in these sorts of atmospheres. I know lots of players say this when they're at the Citi, but I genuinely love coming to Washington, it's a brilliant place to come and play."
The three-time Grand Slam winner then joked with the fans, wondering if some of them skipped work to come and watch him play, considering it was the middle of a work week.
"It was brilliant for a Wednesday. I don't know how many people were off work or skipped work for this, I hope your bosses didn't see you on the TV but I really appreciate you coming out to support so early in the tournament," the Brit added.
pic.twitter.com/OXrCob1dX2.@andy_murray about atmosphere and crowd that came to support him: “It was brilliant for a Wednesday. I don’t know how many people skipped work for this, I hope your bosses didn’t see you on TV but I really appreciate for coming and support” 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/OXrCob1dX2
Murray was then asked whether fans can have his blessing to tell their bosses that it was okay to skip work to watch him.
"Yeah, [but] I'm not sure that will go down very well. Like I said, I love playing in front of these atmospheres. It got really intense towards the end."
"The crowd definitely helps elevate the level of tennis. The adrenaline, the butterflies, and the nerves make you feel alive. I still enjoy that," Andy Murray added.
Andy Murray to face Taylor Fritz in Citi Open 2023 third round
Andy Murray will face Taylor Fritz in the third round of the 2023 Citi Open in Washington.
It will be just the second clash between the Brit and the American, with Fritz winning their first encounter pretty easily, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the 2022 Canadian Open.
At the ongoing Citi Open, both players had a bye in the first round. Murray defeated Brandon Nakashima 7-6(5), 6-4, in the second round, while Fritz dispatched Zachary Svajda 6-3, 6-3.
After beating Nakashima, Murray analyzed his current level.
"There were some positive signs in there. Still, some things I'd like to do better, but it was a good start. I have only played two practice sets on the hard courts coming into the match, which probably I should have played more. But I have been working on some things in my game," Murray stated.
"It's difficult. There is never really that much time in the season to do all the things that you might want to, but I thought I did well for the first match on hard courts since Miami," he added.