Andy Murray admits he may have to accept his days of competing in the latter stages of grand slams could well be over.
The 36-year-old former world number one bowed out of the US Open after a dispiriting second-round defeat to his old rival Grigor Dimitrov.
In the 12th meeting between two veterans of the sport, and seven years after their last one, 19th seed Dimitrov registered only his fourth win over the Scot.
Murray wilted inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the court upon which he won his first grand slam title in 2012, as he slipped to a 6-3 6-4 6-1 defeat.
“I mean, it’s obviously disappointing to not play how you would like, you know?” said Murray, who has not made it past the third round of a major event since 2017.
“But maybe I need to accept that, these events, I had the deep runs and everything that I felt like I’m capable of, they might not be there, as well.
“So, you know, I’m aware what I’m doing, it’s unbelievably challenging to play at the highest level as I am now. And some days it’s harder than others.
“But yeah, today is obviously a really disappointing defeat and probably the manner of it as well. I mean, I fought hard enough, but just didn’t play well enough.
“You know, ultimately these are the events that you want to play your best tennis in and create more great moments, and I didn’t do that this year.”
A ding-dong of a first set, including two brutal 15-minute games, was poised at 3-3 with almost an hour played and the match was shaping up to be another Murray marathon.
Murray had lost eight points in a row to slip behind but hit back after an astonishing get from a man with a metal hip, retrieving a net cord by deftly angling the ball away from Dimitrov.
He continued his run past the net post and into Dimitrov’s side of the court, where the Bulgarian clapped his opponent before both tapped rackets.
That was where the niceties ended, though, and Murray’s hopes quickly went south.
He came up with an absolute stinker of a service game, two double-faults and two unforced errors gifting Dimitrov the set and the momentum.
Murray was broken again at the start of the second and his shoulders slumped even further when his solitary chance to break back drifted wide.
The constant chuntering to his team was getting less and less cordial and, at 4-1 down in the third, he gestured to them that the match was over as a contest.
The two-time Wimbledon champion was proved to be right two games later as another attempt to challenge at a grand slam fell well short.
Sinner: Italy handled the pressure to retain Davis Cup
Jannik Sinner believes his Italy team-mates handled the pressure of representing their country well as they retained the Davis Cup on Sunday.
Italy beat the Netherlands in the final, with Matteo Berrettini and Sinner both winning their singles matches in straight sets to clinch the title.
They are the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013, and, after also winning the Billie Jean King Cup last week, they are only the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years.
Sinner, on the back of an incredible season that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals, became just the second player in the Open Era to finish a calendar year by winning at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.
"We are very happy to be back here holding this trophy. It feels like we are in Italy," Sinner said.
"You have a different pressure and a different weight of having Italy on your shoulders - I think we handled it really well.
"If it was not important, I would not be here. For me, it means so much to me."
However, Sinner's year has been disrupted by an ongoing doping controversy, which has cast doubt on his immediate future in the sport.
"Of course, it's [the doping case] in the head a little bit," Sinner said.
"The most important part is all the people who know me as a human being trust me - that's why I kept playing the level I have.
"I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties, and you just have to [deal with] it."
Berrettini missed last year's Davis Cup through injury, but still went to Malaga to support his team as they won the title.
"I would tell him 'don't give up'," Berrettini said of his former self from 12 months ago. "Last year was really nice to be here, but at the same time, I remember a moment, like, why did I come?
"But after the whole week, I said it was really important for you to come, because I support them, but also for me. I took so much energy from those matches.
"I once again realised how much I care about the Davis Cup. And living those moments, I took all this energy, and I was like next year, you're going to be here, you're going to be fighting for Italy.
"I used that as an engine for the training sessions and everything that happened afterwards."
Sinner guides Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup triumphs
Jannik Sinner capped his outstanding year by helping Italy retain the Davis Cup, beating Tallon Griekspoor to ensure Italy downed the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final.
World number one Sinner overcame Griekspoor 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 after Matteo Berrettini had registered a 6-4 6-2 win over Botic van de Zandschulp in the opener.
Sinner saved the only two break points of the first set as Griekspoor put up a fight, but the Italian put on a show in the tie-break to inch ahead.
Griekspoor hit back after giving up an early break in the second set, but Sinner immediately responded with two further breaks, with the Dutchman double-faulting for the first then wildly miscuing with a backhand for the second.
Sinner was untroubled from then on, sealing a triumphant end to a spectacular season.
The Italian has only dropped one set throughout that streak, finishing a year that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals with a 73-6 singles record.
Data Debrief: Sensational Sinner leads the way
This has been a truly remarkable year for Sinner, who has become the first man in the Open Era to win at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.
His victory ensured Italy became the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic triumphed in 2012 and 2013.
Italy also captured the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this week, and they are just the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years, after the Czech Republic in 2012 and Russia in 2021.
Sinner and Berrettini send defending champions Italy into Davis Cup final
Jannik Sinner's victory over Alex de Minaur clinched Italy's place in another Davis Cup final, with Matteo Berrettini also victorious as the defending champions beat Australia 2-0.
Italy won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1976 last year, and they will have an opportunity to defend their crown against the Netherlands on Sunday.
Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini got the ball rolling with an entertaining 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 7-5 victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis, not surrendering a break after losing the opener in a tie-break.
That teed up Sinner to close out Italy's victory, with the world number one overcoming De Minaur 6-3 6-4, the same scoreline he beat the Australian by at the ATP Finals earlier this month.
Speaking after his victory in Malaga, Sinner said: "It means a lot. It was a tough encounter, playing Alex. We know each other quite well now, so I have to be very careful every time.
"It's a very tough challenge for me, so I was looking forward to this one. Obviously, it helped a lot that Matteo won the singles today. He played amazing tennis. It was very high quality.
"Hopefully, this can give us some confidence for [Sunday]. It's going to be a very difficult and tough day for us and also the Netherlands."
Data Debrief: Back-to-back for Italy
Italy's men are looking to follow in the footsteps of their female counterparts, who won the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this week.
They are just the third nation in history to make back-to-back finals at both the Davis Cup and the Federation/Billie Jean King Cup, after the United States (1963-64, 1978-79, 1981-82 and 1990-91) and Australia (1963-64 and 1964-65).
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