Andy Murray's US Open rant could push tennis to some much-needed rule changes

From the profound issue of Covid vaccination to the relative trivia of fake toilet breaks, Andy Murray’s status as the sage of tennis grows by the week.

He can still play a bit, too, as he showed during a pulsating US Open first round match against world No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas that he could so easily have won.

The 34-year-old Scot’s ranking may have slipped, but he has consolidated his position as world No 1 when it comes to opining on important matters in the game and beyond.

Andy Murray was left incensed at the length of time Stefanos Tsitsipas took off the court

Andy Murray was left incensed at the length of time Stefanos Tsitsipas took off the court

The world No 3 (left) prevailed to beat Murray but his 'cheating' saw Murray take him to task

The world No 3 (left) prevailed to beat Murray but his ‘cheating’ saw Murray take him to task

Before his measured post-match takedown of Tsitsipas and his dubious practices in the early hours of this morning, Murray had boldly spoken out on the need for vaccine uptake among players at the weekend.

On Monday it earned him public praise from the Director of the World Health Organisation no less, Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus, who declared that ‘Murray aces it with this’ via Twitter.

Now, on admittedly less weighty matters, the double Wimbledon champion may precipitate long-needed action on players abusing bathroom break and medical time out rules.

He could not contain his anger at Tsitsipas leaving him to cool down between the fourth and fifth sets, walking off court for more than seven minutes, supposedly to relieve himself. 

He also questioned the legitimacy of medical attention his opponent received. He pointed out that it was so predictable he had even discussed its inevitability with his support team before the match.

Murray was still ticked off on Tuesday with the dust said to be settled. 

‘Fact of the day. It takes Stefanos Tsitipas twice as long to go the bathroom as it takes Jeff Bazos (sic) to fly into space. Interesting,’ he tweeted.

Murray remained irritated on Tuesday afternoon as he took to Twitter about Tsitsipas' delays

Murray remained irritated on Tuesday afternoon as he took to Twitter about Tsitsipas’ delays

The Scot complained to an official with Tsitsipas away for a lengthy spell before the fifth set

The Scot complained to an official with Tsitsipas away for a lengthy spell before the fifth set

Murray had earlier spoken out on vaccines and his words carry significant weight on the tour

Murray had earlier spoken out on vaccines and his words carry significant weight on the tour

Tsitsipas defended himself by saying that he was acting within the rules as they are (vaguely) framed, and there is some validity to that.

These practices have been going on for years but tennis, with its weak and fractured leadership, has done nothing to address them. This should be the catalyst for a united approach to stop these ludicrous mid-match hiatuses in a sport whose rulebook clearly states a basic principle: ‘Play should be continuous’.

Murray’s criticism of his opponent was all the more effective because he also acknowledged what an asset the supremely gifted Tsitsipas can be to the sport.

‘I rate him a lot. I think he’s a brilliant player, he’s great for the game,’ said the Scot. ‘But I have zero time for that stuff at all, and I lost respect for him.

‘It’s not so much leaving the court. It’s the amount of time. I spoke to my team before the match about it and said to expect that, prepare for it if things were not going his way.

‘The issue is that you cannot stop the way that that affects you physically. When you’re playing a brutal match like that, stopping for seven, eight minutes, you do cool down.

‘It’s not good for the sport, it’s not good for TV, it’s not good for fans. I don’t think it’s a good look for the players either. I’m sitting in here, and rather than talking about how fantastic he is, how great it was for me that I was able to put on a performance like that after everything that’s gone on the last four years, I’m sitting here talking about delays in matches. That’s rubbish.

Tsitsipas defended himself but Murray's criticisms could see an analysis of the break rules

Tsitsipas defended himself but Murray’s criticisms could see an analysis of the break rules

He was adamant that his comments were not 'sour grapes' and that changes are needed

He was adamant that his comments were not ‘sour grapes’ and that changes are needed 

‘It’s annoying for me because it sounds like sour grapes because you’ve lost a match and everything. I would have said the same thing if I’d won, I promise. It was nonsense, and he knows it.’

As players from recent generations have observed, such as Britain’s Jo Durie, they used to go whole careers – let alone whole matches – barely leaving the court for any reason. Now it happens all the time.

One solution would be for players to be allotted a strictly limited amount of in-match breaks per year, for medical reasons or calls of nature. Beyond that they would make a compulsory donation to tour charities for every extra instance.

Giving point or game advantages to the delayed player is an idea that has been more widely discussed. We would soon find out how many of the current stoppages are genuine.

Yet as Murray forlornly pointed out, the situation will probably still be allowed to drift. So many issues have in tennis, such as grunting, due to the incoherent governance of the sport among the men’s and women’s tours and the Grand Slams.

What he can be far more optimistic about is his playing future, because few would have foreseen that he could push a top seed to 6-4 in the fifth set in a match of superb quality.

Had he taken one of his two set points in the second he could have won in straights. His movement was excellent. What a shame we will not see how his body would have rebounded from a contest that lasted nearly five hours.

Tsitsipas was taken the distance by Murray and he will now hope for easier tests in New York

Tsitsipas was taken the distance by Murray and he will now hope for easier tests in New York

Murray may no longer be world No 1 on court but he still showed he can play in a fine display

Murray may no longer be world No 1 on court but he still showed he can play in a fine display

source: dailymail.co.uk