Andy Murray to skip Davis Cup after loss to Alexander Zverev; 'not sure I deserve to play'

Former world tennis number one Andy Murray said that he is likely to skip Davis Cup this year after his straight-sets defeat to current world number three Alexander Zverev in the ongoing Indian Wells tournament. The Brit lost 6-4, 7-6 to the German in the Round of 32.

After losing, Murray claimed that he is not sure if he deserves to be in the Great Britain team for the upcoming Davis Cup as fellow compatriots Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans have had a spectacular year. The Davis Cup 2021 is scheduled to take place from November 25 to December 5.

Andy Murray fears he does not deserves to be in Davis Cup team

While speaking to BBC Sport after the match, Andy Murray said that while he prioritizes representing his country, he would like to be on the team on merit. The two-time Olympic Gold medal winner added that he's not sure if his current form warrants him a spot on the team.

After the defeat to Alexander Zverev, Murray said, "I’ve given a lot to the Davis Cup, and sometimes to my own detriment physically. The same thing happened last time I played Davis Cup at the end of 2019. I know there was coronavirus, but I was struggling with that really up until September time the following year."

The three-time Grand Slam champion added, "I also don’t feel right now I would be playing, either. Obviously, that would be up to Leon, but I’m not sure I deserve to play in that team. Cam [Norrie] and Dan [Evans] have had a great year. Liam Broady’s in and around the top 100 now, and we’ve got very strong doubles as well."

Andy Murray to take rest until Australian Open 2022

Instead of competing in the Davis Cup, Murray hopes to take time off and focus on getting some rest before the Australian Open next year. The Australian Open 2022 is set to take place from January 17 to 30. Murray, who has failed to win a Grand Slam singles event since Wimbledon 2017, will hope to use this time to recover and come back stronger next season. His form has suffered due to various injuries he has suffered in the past three years.