Andy Murray - "Players are a little bit hypocritical over the tennis schedule... they don't have to play every tournament"

Andy Murray recently called out tennis players who voice issues with the duration of the calendar.

Multiple players have complained about the intense tennis schedule in the recent past. For instance, during the Dubai Tennis Championships in March 2023, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said:

"The season is long. For me it's too long, in my opinion. I have been saying that quite some time - these days when I'm a bit older than I was 10 years ago."

More recently, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz spoke about it as well.

"It's too demanding. For example, if you start your season with the first tournament of the year, you are already leaving (home) on December 25 or 26 and then it doesn't end until the beginning of next December," the Spaniard said in an interview with Elo (via Tennis365).

But Murray, who is preparing for his opener at this year's Dubai Tennis Championships, was critical of players who complain about the length of the season.

"I just think that sometimes the players are a little bit hypocritical (over) the tennis schedule, and it's like the tennis schedule is too long, but then players are flying all over the world in the off-season to play exhibitions, and that's their choice," Murray said in an interview with The National.

The former World No. 1 added:

"And they don't have to play every tournament on the ATP Tour; they can decide not to come here (in Dubai) or they don't have to play Indian Wells."

Andy Murray to face Denis Shapovalov in Dubai Tennis Championships opener

Andy Murray (L) and Denis Shapovalov (R) at the 2022 Madrid Open

Andy Murray has endured a difficult start to the 2024 season. The three-time Grand Slam champion has played five tournaments, including the Australian Open, so far this year. In all but one of those, he has been ousted in the first round. His only win has come against Alexandre Muller in the first round of the Qatar Open.

The former World No. 1 will square off against Denis Shapovalov in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday (February 26).

Murray and Shapovalov have faced each other twice in the past. Their first meeting came in the Round of 32 at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, which Shapovalov won in straight sets.

Their next encounter, another Round of 32 match, took place at the 2022 Madrid Open. On that occasion, Murray came out on top in three sets.