Thursday 17 January 2019 10:50, UK
Andre Agassi says Andy Murray deserves respect for consistently challenging Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open on Monday after losing in the first round to Roberto Bautista Agut in what could potentially be the final match of his career.
The 31-year-old had indicated his intention to retire after this year's Wimbledon but doubts remain over his ability to participate, as he battles a long-term hip injury.
Murray has won three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals and the 2016 ATP Tour Finals during his career but Agassi believes the Scot would have won "three times" as much if he had played in the previous era of tennis.
"He was the person that broke into the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic trio in their prime," said Agassi. "He showed that he can play every bit up on their level.
"It is a rough generation to win a lot of Grand Slams. If Andy was in my generation he would have had probably three times the career.
"Those guys haven't left much for others but Andy went in there and took it. I only have respect for him.
"He did, in some cases, against the biggest odds. He is a fighter at heart - you can see it out here, even in pain he is going to fight to the end.
"That is what you want to see. It is never fun to see him suffer on a tennis court, either emotionally or physically, but he never stopped fighting. That is the thing you have to respect."
Murray says he wants "to keep playing tennis" and will consider his options before deciding whether to undergo further surgery on his hip.
Agassi, who himself struggles with a chronic back injury towards the end of his career, says Murray must weigh up the risks before risking surgery.
He said: "When you're resorting to making a gamble of one kind or another, you have to weigh up the odds and the risks.
"What is the gamble in not having the surgery? It sounded like that was a clear painful way to go.
"He was hurting on a tennis court. Nobody ever wants to go under the knife, nobody ever wants to have surgery. You only do it as a last resort.
"Doctors are the only ones that can tell him what those percentages are and he has to have to strength and courage to make a decision that is probably not an easy one, but I guess is a clear one."
