Andy Murray's Australian Open Nightmare: 5 Lost Finals and a Career Left Unfulfilled
In total, Andy Murray won 46 titles. The Scotsman can boast three Grand Slam titles, fourteen Masters 1000s, two Olympic gold medals in singles, the 2015 Davis Cup, and the 2016 ATP Finals in his trophy cabinet.
Admired by tennis observers for his unmatched resilience, his refusal to ever give up, and his great tactical intelligence that enabled him to defeat the Big 3 on 29 occasions, Murray won the 2012 US Open and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 but could have claimed even more Majors.
Runner-up at Roland Garros in 2016, he notably contested five Australian Open finals without winning a single one. A look back at the rich history between the British champion and the Melbourne tournament.
2010: Second Grand Slam Final Against Federer
Andy Murray had his first chance to win the Australian Open in 2010. The Briton was playing in his second Grand Slam final, more than a year after losing the 2008 US Open final to Roger Federer. Fittingly, it was once again the Swiss star whom the then-22-year-old Murray would face.
Throughout the fortnight, he eliminated players like Kevin Anderson, John Isner, Rafael Nadal (by retirement in the quarterfinals), and Marin Cilic in the semifinals.
Seeded No. 5, he still had one major challenge ahead in Federer, who had already won the title three times in Melbourne before this 2010 matchup.
Murray Close to Stealing a Fourth Set, Federer's Logical Triumph
In this final, Federer's experience at this stage of the tournament clearly made the difference. Sharper in the first two sets, the then-World No. 1 was dominant.
The turning point could have been the third-set tiebreak, when Murray earned two set points at 6-4. But Federer tightened up at the right moment, as great champions do.
On his third match point, the Basel native capitalized on a backhand net cord error from his opponent to win 13-11. He could raise his arms to the sky, having just claimed his 16th Grand Slam title.
"I Can Cry Like Roger, It's Just a Shame I Can't Play Like Him"
During the trophy ceremony, Federer had comforting words for the Scotsman: "You're too good not to win a Grand Slam, don't worry about that," he told him amid applause from the crowd.
In response, a tearful Murray opted for humor: "I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him," referencing the Swiss star's emotional speech a year earlier in 2009 after losing to Rafael Nadal.
2011, 2013, 2015, 2016: Djokovic, Master of the Venue, Shatters Murray's Dream
The following year, Murray arrived at the Australian Open with the pressure of defending points from his 2010 final but also with more experience.
Once again, the Briton was among the credible title contenders, stringing together wins in the draw without too much trouble. Indeed, Murray didn't drop his first set of the tournament until the quarterfinals against Dolgopolov.
After ramping up in the semifinals against Ferrer, he faced one of his biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic, who was aiming for a second Melbourne crown after his 2008 win over Tsonga.
2011: One-Sided Final, Djokovic Claims Second Australian Open
In what would become one of the greatest years of his career, Djokovic left Murray only crumbs in this final. In 2h38, the Serb wrapped it up easily (6-4, 6-3, 6-2).
In three Grand Slam finals played, Murray had yet to win a single set and was consistently stumbling at the final hurdle.
What he didn't know at the time was that he would face Djokovic again in the Melbourne final, a chance for revenge that never came despite plenty of opportunities.
Two years later, in 2013, Murray had elevated his status. Just months earlier, he had finally triumphed in a Grand Slam, beating Djokovic in an epic 2012 US Open final.
2013: Murray Improves but Can't Topple Djokovic
After narrowly missing a third straight Australian Open final the previous year, Murray faced Djokovic again for the title. Fresh off a Brisbane title, the Scotsman was brimming with confidence.
He had also just beaten Roger Federer in the semifinals (6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2). Everything pointed to a tense battle. Sure enough, Murray took the first set in a tiebreak before dropping an equally tight second in the breaker.
The No. 3 seed had let his chance slip. Djokovic, who wasn't broken once in the final, was then more comfortable in the last two sets (6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 3h40).
Third failure in a Melbourne final for Murray. No reason to be discouraged, though, and two years later he returned to the final in the Australian city.
2015: Similar Script to 2013 Final, Murray Falls Again to Djokovic
For his fourth Melbourne final, it was once again Djokovic standing in Murray's way. The latter had racked up wins over Dimitrov, Kyrgios, and Berdych in the second week and arrived hungrier than ever.
All with the ambition of finally conquering the Australian Open, a title he had coveted for years. Murray hung tough in the first set, erasing an early break deficit. But he ultimately let his lead slip in the tiebreak.
Like in 2013, the first two sets went to tiebreaks with the same outcome: one set apiece. The turning point came in the third set.
On his momentum, the Briton, who had dropped to No. 6 in the rankings, broke early. But Djokovic quickly fought back and never let go until the end. He won in four sets again (7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0 in 3h40) to claim a fifth Melbourne title.
2016: The Final Chapter of the Djokovic-Murray Saga
Ever consistent at the Australian Open, Murray didn't stop there. In 2016, he beat Zverev, Tomic, Ferrer, and Raonic to reach the final. Trailing two sets to one against the Canadian in the semifinals, he dug deep to turn it around and secure another Melbourne final, his fifth in seven years and fourth against Djokovic.
From 2010 to 2016, Murray always reached at least the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. But once more, he fell short. Against a Djokovic as strong as ever in Melbourne, the Scotsman could do nothing (6-1, 7-5, 7-6 in 2h54). The curse continued, and the puzzle seemed unsolvable.
"It feels like I've been here before," Murray joked in his post-final speech. And for good reason—the Briton had unwittingly broken a sad record.
Indeed, in the Open Era, no player had ever reached at least five finals at the same Grand Slam without ever winning the tournament.
2017: DISAPPOINTMENT AGAINST MISCHA ZVEREV AS WORLD NO. 1
Andy Murray arrived at the 2017 Australian Open at the peak of his career. World No. 1 since late 2016, he had closed the previous season with nine titles and five straight tournament wins to end the year (Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Paris-Bercy, and the ATP Finals).
Runner-up in Doha early in 2017, he had fallen to Novak Djokovic in another epic three-set battle. But that didn't dent his confidence.
Heading into the tournament in Melbourne, he had won 30 of his last 31 official matches since his 2016 US Open quarterfinal loss to Kei Nishikori.
Djokovic Out in Second Round, Path Clears for Murray
Murray opened against Ilya Marchenko (7-5, 7-6, 6-2), then dispatched an up-and-coming Andrey Rublev (6-3, 6-0, 6-2) and Sam Querrey (6-4, 6-2, 6-4). Without overexerting, the then-29-year-old reached the second week.
And as if fortune favored him, Murray saw his main title rival, two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic (World No. 2), stunned in the second round in a five-set thriller against Denis Istomin.
Given the state of the tour at the time, the Scotsman became the overwhelming favorite to finally shatter the glass ceiling and claim the title that had eluded him since his first final in 2010.
Murray Falls to Serve-and-Volley King Mischa Zverev
In the round of 16, Andy Murray faced Mischa Zverev. The Briton had dominated the German in their only prior meeting in 2015. Everything suggested the World No. 1 would cruise through another easy day.
But nothing went as planned on January 22, 2017. Against a solid opponent excelling at net, Murray never found answers despite 71 winners and just 28 unforced errors.
Alexander's older brother delivered "the best match of his life," by his own account, to win in four sets (7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4). The lefty broke his opponent eight times and pulled off one of the finest performances of his career.
"I Knew I Had to Come to Net, It Was My Only Chance to Win"
"I believed in myself and my game. I thought serve-and-volleying against him, using a lot of slice to disrupt his rhythm, would work. It did.
I felt I could sustain it for three or four sets against him. Everything clicked. I don't know how I stayed so calm," Mischa Zverev said after his win.
"I didn't really have a Plan B. I can't stay on the baseline, or two steps behind, and try to win rallies. He's very strong physically, great from the back of the court.
I knew I had to come to net; it was my only chance to win. Honestly, I had no Plan B. That was all I could do," he added.
Murray's Last Chance Slips Away in 2017
Murray didn't know it yet, but this was his final shot at glory in Melbourne. Indeed, 2017 marked the beginning of the Briton's decline.
Sidelined by a hip injury mid-season, he reached the Roland Garros semifinals that year against Stan Wawrinka before making the Wimbledon quarterfinals against Sam Querrey.
But his hip worsened against the American, forcing him to withdraw for the rest of the 2017 season. After a failed first surgery in 2018, the Briton needed another the following year but never regained his former level.
2019: SHOCK RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT IN MELBOURNE
When he stepped into the pre-tournament press conference at the 2019 Australian Open, Andy Murray was coming off a near-blank 2018 season. Just six tournaments played between Queen's and Shenzhen, with clear lack of match rhythm.
It seemed that after major hip surgery and a year off, Murray would need several adjustment events before building form.
But in reality, Murray was suffering. His (brief) 2018 comeback offered little insight beyond the surgery not having worked.
He retired before facing Alex de Minaur in the Washington ATP 500 quarterfinals after three marathons in a week; Murray was clearly not physically ready.
"I've Done Just About Everything Possible to Get Better"
To the point that when the player who had fallen outside the top 800 (No. 839 in July 2018) entered the Melbourne Park press room in 2019, no one expected the speech Murray would deliver.
Tears in his eyes, Murray knew. With a painful hip, he couldn't return to his former self: "I've suffered a lot over the past 20 months. I've done just about everything possible to get better.
I've certainly been in a better place the last six months, but the pain is still there. It's a very tough time for me," Murray began, far from the goals he held less than two years prior.
"I'm going to play this tournament. I can still compete at a decent level, even if it's not where I want to be. But the pain is really intense, and long-term, I don't want to keep playing like this.
As I said, I've tried everything to get back but it hasn't worked," the Scottish champion lamented.
"My Plan Is to Play Until Wimbledon, That's Where I'd Like to Stop"
Murray then announced his decision to the journalists, assuring he didn't want to continue under such conditions: "I spoke to my team and told them I can't go on like this.
My plan is to play until Wimbledon, that's where I'd like to stop. But on the other hand, I don't know if I'll be able to," he said through tears in a hushed room.
"I don't know if I want to play another five months in severe pain. The other option is a second surgery, even more invasive than the first.
It could give me a better life post-career without pain. I'm seriously considering it," he concluded.
One Last Battle Against Bautista Agut at the Australian Open... For Now
Days after this announcement that rocked the tennis world, Murray did indeed play the Australian Open. With no real personal expectations, the former World No. 1 had to overcome dangerous Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Seeded No. 22 at the time, the latter had lost all three prior meetings with Murray. The last was the 2016 Shanghai Masters 1000 final.
Less than two and a half years later, they met again, but much had changed. Down two sets to love and a break in the third, Murray teetered on defeat.
His fans had reason to worry, having played just two Grand Slam matches since the start of the 2018 season. But physically, the Briton gave his all.
Resilient in effort, the three-time Major winner drew on experience to steal the next two sets, both in tiebreaks, forcing a fifth. Ultimately, the Spaniard broke him (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2 in 4h10).
MURRAY'S SPECIAL BUT FRUSTRATING AUSTRALIAN OPEN STORY
Absent from the 2020 and 2021 Australian Opens, Murray returned to Melbourne in 2022 but fell in the second round to Taro Daniel. It was only the next season, in 2023, that the five-time finalist had his last moment of glory.
Drawn against No. 13 seed and defending semifinalist Matteo Berrettini, Murray pulled off a big upset in a thriller (6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6 in 4h48). A match where he held physically before breaking the Italian in the super tiebreak.
2023, the Year of His Last Melbourne Highlight
But Murray's tournament took another level in the second round against Thanasi Kokkinakis. Down two sets to love and 5-2 in the third, the Briton pulled off a prodigious, miraculous comeback.
With the clock past 4 a.m., Murray won despite the Australian's 102 winners (4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 in 5h45). In a fiery atmosphere, Murray had just played (and won) the longest match of his professional career at nearly 36.
Murray at the Australian Open: An Impossible Marriage and Eternal Regrets
Murray had advanced to the third round, where he would face a familiar foe: Roberto Bautista Agut. The same player against whom he thought he'd played his last Melbourne match four years earlier.
Far from exhausted by his prior two battles, the Briton showed up. Down 6-1, 3-1, Murray found resources to break back and pocket the second set in a tiebreak with the crowd behind him. He ultimately fell in four sets (6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 in 3h29).
"Two days ago, I randomly ran into the doctor who told me in 2017: 'The good news is your hip issue can be fixed, but you won't play professional sports anymore.'
I think I've dispelled that myth over the last five days," Murray wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after his loss. Five-time unlucky Australian Open finalist, Murray will forever carry the tag of Melbourne's gallant loser.
After squandering so many chances to etch his name on this prestigious roll of honor, the Briton can also rue the 2017 edition, where he failed to seize his favorite status after Djokovic's shocking early exit.
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Amazing to me was how long he was able to compete at a high level with a fake hip joint.