Murray counts on Florida fitness to kickstart 2023

Andy Murray will return to his old stomping ground of Florida to try and whip his body into shape for the fast-approaching start of the 2023 season.

The Scot, who once owned a Miami penthouse flat and spent a lot of time in South Florida, is heading back to the future in hopes of rediscovering the magic in his game while he still can.

The 35-year-old who once stood atop the rankings but now ranks 49th, is hoping to get in a decent amount of fitness work more than half a decade after suffering the hip and abdominal problems which sidelined his career.

“I’ve been chatting a lot about the off season and the stuff that I want to do with my team; I’ve got a plan in terms of where I’m going to do that.”

The three-time Grand Slam winner then dropped his big reveal to the ATP podcast: ““I’m going to Florida for the first time in a while.

“It’s where I used to always do my off seasons, really putting in some hard work on my game.”

With time running out on his career, the Scot added: “I just want to keep progressing: this year I have progressed a lot from where I was. 

“If things start to go backwards and if performances don’t improve or physically I’m struggling  I’ll have to look at things.

“But I’m still going in the direction that I want – I have plans for a good year next year.”

While not ashamed of his major improvement in the rankings, Murray has his eye on more: “in the beginning of the year I was ranked No. 135 and now I’m in the 40s.

“That’s a big jump, so it’s been OK this year. I would like to have done better.

“I don’t feel like I have played my best tennis this year. Hopefully, next year I can keep progressing.”