With his retirement on the horizon, Andy Murray feels he should have done better in his career as tributes pour in for the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Murray competed in what could be his last match on Monday, producing a hugely impressive performance in the first round of the Australian Open as he came from two sets down to force a decider against Roberto Bautista Agut.
After four hours and nine minutes Murray eventually succumbed to a 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 defeat, emerging with huge credit from an epic tussle in which he defied the physical limitations imposed on him by a long-standing hip injury that is forcing him to call time on his career.
Reflecting on his career in a media conference, Murray said: "Like some people have said the last few days, I got everything out of my game and stuff. But I feel like I should have done better, you know, I could have done things differently.
"There's matches here, for example, that I would love to play again, have another opportunity to do that. I don't know. I don't know what it will be, but I have tried my best."
Another regret of Murray's is that his two daughters will not be able to watch him in action, the 31-year-old adding: "That's one of the things I said, like, that I wanted to be able to do. I would like my daughters to come and watch me play a tennis match, hopefully understand what's happening before I finish. But I'm aware that that probably isn't going to happen now. I'm a bit sad about that."
Despite such disappointments, if his defeat to Bautista Agut was his final match, Murray will be able to look back on a wonderful send-off, having received a rapturous ovation ahead of his final service game of the match.
"Obviously that moment, I was emotional at that moment. It was cool," Murray said.
"I don't think I've had that before in any matches. I don't know if when I came to serve at Wimbledon for Wimbledon, I don't know if that happened. It was brilliant. The atmosphere the whole match was amazing. I loved it. I'm really appreciative that the people gave me that atmosphere to play in. Yeah, I really enjoyed it."
The Briton has won 45 ATP titles including the Tour Finals in 2016, and reached a Grand Slam on 11 occasions. Murray was unable to win in Melbourne despite reaching the final five times and also lost his only French Open final appearance to Novak Djokovic.
Murray now faces the option of having another surgery that may end his time in tennis before his target of Wimbledon or resting with the aim of bringing the curtain down at SW19.
READ | Murray to decide on potential career-ending surgery
Whichever route he takes, the former world number one will have at least some regrets over how his career panned out, despite having won two Wimbledon titles, a US Open title, two Olympic gold medals and the Davis Cup.
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