Former world number 1 Andy Murray has retired from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after he and his wife Kim welcomed their fourth child. Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray was hoping to play in Dubai next week but the arrival of a newborn in his family will make him take a week off the tour.
Murray, now ranked 116th in the world, has made six appearances in Dubai over the course of his career. The Brit made his debut at the 2008 event in Dubai when he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Murray made his first final at the event in 2012 before losing to former world number 1 Roger Federer. On his last appearance at the tournament, which took place in 2017, Murray beat Fernando Verdasco in the final to claim his only title in Dubai.
Murray recently scored his first ATP win in 2021
Murray came back from a one-set deficit and beat Robin Haase in the first round in Rotterdam last week. “It’s not easy,” said Murray after his first Tour-level win since August, according to The Herald Scotland.
“Every time I lose a match I am told to back off, to stop playing, to be done and run out of things or whatever and it’s sad and all of those things.”
Murray lost in his next game against eventual champions Andrey Rublev. “It’s not easy. I feel like I’m playing for my career every time I step on the field, which is kind of a motivator,” said Murray.
“But it also brings a little extra stress. There is a little more doubt and I also play with a metal hip, which is difficult. Trust me, it ain’t easy. It’s a big challenge for me and one that I’ll face directly, but it’s not easy right now. The past few months have been quite a struggle. ”
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