Just a few minutes after his devastating five-set second-round defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon this year, Andy Murray was inconsolable as he arrived before the press. Murray had spent the prior months working tirelessly with the belief he had positioned himself for a positive run on home soil. Instead, despite leading by two sets to one overnight, he could not close it out. Asked if he would be back at Wimbledon next year, Murray said he did not know.
But tennis never stops. One of the fundamental requirements of being a professional tennis player is learning how to swiftly move on from victories and defeats, focusing on the present and looking back only in service of improvement.
After wallowing in his defeat for some days, Murray reappeared as a spectator for the Wimbledon final as Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic. He instinctively found himself at work again, taking videos of both players while thinking about how he could apply their decision-making to his own game. Around the same period, he converged with his team and they worked through frank conversations about his approach to his game.
"I wasn't that happy with how I played in the [Tsitsipas] match, to be honest," Murray says. "I made some changes to my game after the match, had a couple of long, long chats with my team about how I wanted to improve the shots that I wanted to improve and, if I'm going to win those matches and compete at the highest level, how it is I need to go about doing that."
Both the match, an excellent spectacle against the current world No 4, and Murray's reaction to the defeat only further underlines the fascinating position he occupies at this point in his career. Murray is now ranked No 36 in the world, his highest ranking since his hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, and he is undoubtedly playing his best tennis since his hip issues threatened his career.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 15, 2023-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 15, 2023-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
The Filter Cast-iron alternatives to Le Creuset for less
Le Creuset's colourful pans have long topped the wishlists of amateur and professional cooks.
Money hacks How to find a pet-sitter you can trust
Unless you have family, a friend or a neighbour who can care for your pet when you're away, you'll need to find a pet-sitter you can trust.
Pensions An A to Z of how to save for your retirement
Everything you need to know to plan for your future and make the most of your finances. Rupert Jones and Hilary Osborne report
'A fork in the road' AI's bid to help on laundry days at Europe's tech summit
This year's Web Summit in Lisbon was all about artificial intelligence and a robot sorting laundry.
Brexit So how could Labour improve EU ties for the sake of growth?
The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said this week that Brexit had undermined the UK's economy, and urged the government to improve relations with the EU for the sake of growth.
Aviation Flying taxis: destined never to take off?
In a dreary November day in the Cotswolds, the VX4 - a cross between a plane and a helicopter - rose from an airport runway, hovered a few feet off the ground and set back down.
Property firm back in profit as workers return to offices
One of Britain's biggest property developers has provided further evidence of the return to office working, saying occupancy in its central London offices is at an all-time high and the value of its portfolio has returned to growth.
Analysis Summer of dark warnings from the Treasury may have cast a shadow on growth
It was hardly surprising that the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, declared herself \"not satisfied\" with the news that the UK's GDP expanded by a measly 0.1% in the three months to September.
Contracting GDP adds to German woes as general election looms
Germany's looming general election will be fought against the backdrop of a stagnating economy, the European Commission has forecast, with GDP expected to have contracted in 2024.
UK economy slows amid jitters over Labour budget
The UK economy slowed to a near-standstill in the third quarter as uncertainty around Labour's first budget and high interest rates weighed on business and consumer spending.
