Andy Murray returned to the US Open with a bang, as he fought back from two sets and a break down in his opener against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka. Two days later, facing the same deficit against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Briton could not work his magic in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Going back to the Western & Southern Open, where he made his return to ATP tennis for the first time since his most recent injury setback in late 2019, Murray's played a total of five matches in New York, finishing with a 3-2 record.
"I played a couple of tough matches in Cincinnati, and I played certainly one very tough match here, and my right hip felt good," he said after midnight on Day 4 at the US Open. "That's really, really positive."
After his trip across the pond, Murray has gained some clarity on his hip, his fitness and his tennis as a 33-year-old veteran.
"I don't know what I was expecting," he said. "The No. 1 priority for me was that my hip was good, and it coped really well with a five-set match, which lots of people—myself included—weren't sure how I was going to do with that, and I actually coped relatively well the other day against a very tough opponent.
"But, like I said, to build up... I feel like I'm back at square one, having not played in Slams for a few years. I need to build up my body and my physical conditioning so that, you know, I have the ability to back up five-set matches. That takes a bit of time, unfortunately."
Always a perfectionist, Murray was critical of his game over the last two weeks. Despite a three-set win over world No. 7 and Aussie Open semifinalist Alexander Zverev in the tune-up tournament—which featured a scintillating, 6-3 opening set from the Scot—Murray found fault with the inconsistent nature of his performance.
"I felt like I played some good stuff at times, but it was quite up and down," he critiqued, later adding, "I wasn't that happy with how I played in the matches over here, to be honest. I would have liked to have played better tennis."
He'll now head back home to Surrey, England, spend time with his family, with the French Open next up on his calendar. Roland Garros is set to begin with qualifying on Sept. 21, though Murray might expect to be granted a wild card, as he was for the two New York events. Is it realistic to believe that the three-time major winner can add more top-shelf silverware in his mid-30s?
"You know, in terms of winning Grand Slams again, that's going to be extremely difficult to do. It was hard enough when I had two normal hips. So it will be difficult, but I'll keep trying... why not? Why shouldn't I try my hardest to do that? And if I don't, that's alright. But I might as well shoot for the stars... I'm trying my best to get the most out of what my body gives me now."
WATCH: Andy Murray's Round 2 press conference
