"I'm more like Novak Djokovic in the sense that he plays his best when he's showing his emotion, positively or negatively" - Andy Murray
Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is currently competing in the Citi Open in Washington, USA, for the first time since his hip-replacement surgery in 2019. Having received a bye in the first round, Murray marked his return with a straight-sets, 7-6(5), 6-4, win against Brandon Nakashima on Wednesday.
In the press conference after the victory, former World No. 1 Andy Murray was asked about how he manages his emotions on the court.
In response, Murray said it is about striking the right balance. He further elaborated that he needs to express his feelings on the court, both positive and negative.
"Well, yeah, it's just trying to get the balance right for me. So I have played matches, not many, where I have said nothing during the match," Murray said. "I have often, my coaches or my team have said to me, like, What was up today? You seemed very flat on the court."
Talking about expressing his feelings and how it affects his performance, Murray added:
"That's, for me, when it goes the other way, you know, I don't get the most out of myself, if I'm not saying anything or I'm not reacting, like, positively or negatively to points."
Explaining the potential pitfalls of this practice, Murray said that resetting yourself between points is crucial.
"Obviously, the flipside of that is if I'm showing too much frustration and I'm not resetting after points or, you know, I lose a point, get frustrated, and that, you know, carries on into the next point, that's when it becomes a problem," said the 36-year-old.
Andy Murray also drew comparisons with 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, likening their approach to the sport and how they both need to express themselves on court.
"So for me, and I think I would say I'm more like Novak [Djokovic] in that sense is that my feeling is that he plays his best when he's showing, like, you know, his emotion. Positively or negatively, he's getting it out there," Murray explained.
"I feel like that's the same with me, but I just need to be careful that it doesn't go too flat or too much energy getting used up by getting frustrated after every point or getting too pumped up after every point. That's when it can become a problem," he added.
Andy Murray reflects on the comeback journey to play at the 2023 Citi Open in Washington
In the same press conference, two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was asked to reflect on his last appearance at the Stadium Court in Washington. The 2018 version of the Citi Open was a particularly low point in Murray's career, as he broke down in tears on the court after his Round of 16 match against Marius Copil.
"Yeah, 2018 was a pretty, yeah, it was a tough tournament for me, that one. Yeah, mentally and physically. Yeah, I was in a terrible place, really," reflected Murray.
"Yeah, I wasn't in a good place. So, yeah, to be back here still like five years after that when, you know, I didn't really want to play anymore, like, after that. I was just getting really not much enjoyment after that. I won some amazing matches that week but I felt awful," added the 36-year-old.
Following his hip replacement surgery and countless hours in rehabilitation, former World No. 1 Andy Murray is happy to have pain-free matches and is looking forward to competing at the highest level. He said:
"Yeah, just wasn't able to enjoy the wins, because, like, I couldn't sleep in the evenings after the matches because of my hip and everything. Yeah, it's nice to be back and not having any of those issues and being pain-free, and, yeah, still competing at a high level."
"Yeah, it's been a long, long journey these last four, five years. But happy to still be going," he added with a smile.