Eurosport presenter Alize Lim has claimed that she saw Andy Murray “break his rackets” in the parking lot after a defeat at the Paris Masters. Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion and the 2012 US Open winner, was beaten by Alex De Minaur in the French capital last month.
De Minaur has become something of a jinx for Murray and after three defeats already this season, the pair faced off in the opening round of the Paris Masters. After losing the first set on a tiebreak, Murray got back into the contest by winning the second set.
However, Murray would go on to lose the third and final set 7-5, having led 5-2 in the decider. Murray had two chances to serve out the set, and eventually saw five match points come and go as De Minaur rallied to win five successive games.
It was the fourth time in 2023 that Murray has lost to De Minaur and seventh overall, with the former Olympic champion yet to claim a victory in the head-to-head between the pair.
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After losing the point, Murray could not hide his frustration as he slammed his racket on the ground several times in frustration. De Minaur walked to the net for the customary handshake, before the former British No.1 then slammed his racket on the ground again as he made his way to his chair.
Lim was working as a presenter during the tournament in Paris. The 33-year-old, who has featured four times at the French Open, has revealed that she saw Murray’s frustrations in the car park after that loss at the Paris Masters.
“There is an image that struck me a little and chilled me – it was Andy Murray who broke his racket after the match point against Alex De Minaur,” said Lim on Eurosport, via Tennis365.
“I was in the mixed zone, ready to do the interview of the winner at that moment, and I saw him pass and there, truly, his disappointment pierced my heart.
“I heard him break his rackets, behind, in the parking lot. And it really showed his motivation and how important it is to him. It also brought back some very bad memories for me too.”
Murray played in three of the four grand slams in 2023, missing only the French Open after withdrawing days before the tournament started to prioritise the grass-court season. Murray’s best finish in a grand slam this year came when he reached the third round at the Australian Open.
De Minaur went on to reach the quarterfinal of the Paris Masters before losing to Andrey Rublev. Novak Djokovic won the tournament on Sunday, beating Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to pick up his 40th career Masters title.
