Although Andy Murray’s French Open singles match did not go as planned, the former world number one acknowledges that he still hopes to end his career on a high note.

Murray was looking for some happiness at Roland Garros after confirming that he “doesn’t plan on playing much beyond this summer,” but it wasn’t to be as he lost in straight sets to Stan Wawrinka in the first round.

The 37-year-old acknowledged that finishing on a high note would be “perfect,” and that he will have more possibilities later in the year, particularly during the grass-court season.

Many discussions have taken place over the appropriate, or ideal, methods to stop playing tennis. Most stories have an imperfect resolution .

“Winning a match or a tournament would be my ideal way to end my career, but that’s not how most players work out.”

Despite taking a beating at the French Open and seemingly saying goodbye, Andy Murray could “play on”
Murray’s performances at the French Open over the years are something that many players can only dream about, even though he didn’t receive the ideal sendoff.

Although he didn’t take home a championship, he did place second behind Novak Djokovic in 2016 and lost a couple of matches to Rafael Nadal, the 14-time Roland Garros champion.

“Over the years, I performed really well here,” he remarked. “You know, a lot of stuff and results, but the problem for me is that it’s obviously tiny in comparison to what Rafa or Novak accomplished in the same amount of time.

However, most athletes would enlist if they saw the outcomes I’ve seen here. I participated in a final, four semifinals, and several trips to the quarterfinals. I lost against Stan in five sets, Rafa twice, and Novak in five sets in the semifinals. It’s obviously not a shame.

Perhaps the outcomes would have been slightly different in a different era. However, I’m pleased with the outcomes I achieved here. My memories were wonderful.

“I found the surface to be difficult. However, I always turned up and, you know, had quite good performances, given the circumstances. Indeed, the years spent here were rather enjoyable.

But he has signed up for the doubles with fellow Brit Dan Evans, so his journey to Roland Garros in 2024 is far from done.

He said, “It’s not easy for me to play tennis physically these days.” Clay is a hard surface, and I’ve had back problems with it ever since I started working there.

“Even though the build-up and preparation had been a little difficult, I felt very good coming into tonight’s match. I’m hoping to be good for the doubles.