Andy Murray to play new sport when he retires from tennis as Brit plans to stay strict

Andy Murray isn’t planning on letting himself go when he finally confirms his retirement from tennis. After his emotional farewell to Centre Court at Wimbledon this month, speculation is mounting that the Scot will wave goodbye to the sport for good after competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Murray’s dedication to his physical conditioning has become renowned, with the three-time Grand Slam winner defying the odds to continue playing after having a metal rod inserted in his hip.

And only last year the 37-year-old produced one of his bravest career efforts, fighting back from two sets down to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open in a clash that lasted almost six hours.

While various sporting icons have struggled to keep up their fitness levels after retiring, Murray revealed that he has a plan to keep himself active and in shape. And while he won’t be throwing away his tennis rackets, he also intends to increase his time spent on golf courses.

“I’ll definitely still be playing tennis, just not on the tour,” he told Hello!. “I plan to play a lot more golf, and I'll probably carry on working with my strength and conditioning coach, Matt Little, as I transfer from being a full-time athlete and adjusting to not needing to do quite so much.”

The former world No.1 has also vowed to learn from his mistakes of the past. He admitted to getting into bad habits during his enforced break during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and therefore, would still be adhering to a strict diet.

“I put on weight during Covid when I wasn’t training as much and eating junk.” He added. “I didn't really like it, so I need to avoid that. I've also been taking Vital Proteins collagen for a while.

“Following problems with my ankle, I was advised to use collagen supplements as I was only getting small amounts of collagen in my diet. So supplementing is a good option for me and supports my overall fitness plan.”

However, it seems it won’t be a case of round-the-clock dedication for Murray, who will be unseeded for the summer Games. He admitted he would be “trying a few new things” in his diet without the concerns of impact on his performance.

An avid football fan who follows Arsenal and Hibernian, Murray has previously said he was interested in getting involved in junior coaching in the sport when his own career was over. But he’s distanced himself from following the path of the likes of John McEnroe and becoming a tennis pundit or commentator.

Murray is already a two-time Olympic gold medalist, having prevailed in London in 2012 and then retained his title four years later in Rio. But he was forced to withdraw from the event in Tokyo three years ago after picking up a quad injury in practice.