DM Monitoring
NEW YORK: Building the stamina to consistently survive the rigours of playing five-set matches will top Andy Murray’s agenda as the former U.S. Open champion, who has undergone two hip surgeries, plots the revival of his career.
Playing his first Grand Slam singles match since the 2019 Australian Open, Murray produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to defeat Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in four hours and 39 minutes in his opening round.
But that match seemed to take a toll on the 33-year-old as he bowed out against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets on Thursday.
“The more tournaments that you play, the more matches that you play, you build up that sort of robustness in your body which right now I don’t really have,” Murray, who won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2012, told reporters.
“So that’s something that I’ll need to build up over the next few months and hopefully beginning of next year if I can stay healthy, I will be better able to back up difficult physical efforts.”
