ANDY MURRAY has taken a red pen to all talk of his tennis retirement.
And he’s scribbled a defiant message to all his detractors.
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The Scot admitted he is sick fed up of talk about his future and his possible retirement.
And as a difficult start to the year cranked up the pressure questions were being asked of the Dunblane ace and two-time Wimbledon winner.
But his form may not have fully turned a corner, it is certainly moving in the right direction.
Murray had Matteo Berretini wilting on court and the Italian needed time to recover from a dizzy spell on court before he went down 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to the triumphant Scot.
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That set up a second round showdown with Miami Open 29 seed Tomas Etcheverry on Friday.
But while there was drama on the court, it’s what Murray did on his way off it that has offered an insight to the 36-year-old’s current mindset.
Rather than autograph the camera lens as has become customary for tennis stars in recent years – he delivered a defiant message.
He wrote: “Life in the old dog yet” with a smiling face as he left the arena.
The win was only Murray’s fourth of the year but he has shutdown recent retirement talk despite leaving his future hanging in talks before the Australian Open.
He admitted 2024 could be his final year after enduring a “tricky” pre-season.
He told the BBC: “If I was in a situation like I was at the end of last year, then I probably wouldn’t go again.
“But then if physically I’m doing well and my results are good and I’m playing well, then that’s enjoyable and I could see myself still playing.”
But after a run of defeats Down Under and in Doha he hit back at questions he was “tarnishing his legacy” before admitting he was sick of the speculation.
He said: “I’m likely not going to play past the summer but I get asked about it after every single match I play, after every single tournament.
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“I’m bored of the question to be honest. I’m not going to talk about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop.”
That led to mum Judy wading in to defend her youngest and urge fans to enjoy the here and now rather than fearing what’s to come.
But Andy added: “But yeah I don’t plan to play much beyond this summer.”
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