LONDON (Reuters) – A disappointed Andy Murray said he was determined to rise back up the rankings to give himself a better chance in future Grand Slams after making his earliest ever exit from Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old two times Wimbledon champion, a former world number one currently ranked 52nd, bowed out in the second round after a four set defeat to big-serving American John Isner, the 20th seed.
“I could have had a good run here,” he told reporters. “One of the reasons why improving your ranking and trying to get seeded is important, (is to) avoid playing top players and dangerous guys like that early in tournaments.
“It’s one of those matches that, had I got through, who knows what would have happened,” added the Scot. “It’s frustrating for different reasons.”
Murray recognised he had not served well in the opening two sets, Isner had given him few opportunities and a few points had made a big difference.
He said, however, that he had felt in a good place physically — unlike last year when he went out in the third round.
Asked about the future, Murray said he would try to keep playing as long as he felt good.
“It’s extremely difficult with the problems I’ve had with my body in the last few years to make long-term predictions about how I’m going to be even in a few weeks’ time, never mind in a year’s time,” he added.
“If physically I’m in a good place, yeah, I will continue to play. But it’s not easy to keep my body in optimal condition to compete at the highest level.”
Wimbledon does not carry ranking points this year after deciding to ban players from Russia and Belarus due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
There are 32 seeds in the men’s draw.
Murray said he wanted to be in a seeded position by the time of the U.S. Open, or failing that by next year’s Australian Open.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
