If there was ever any doubt that Andy Murray was at the end of his playing career after an emotional exit at Wimbledon, he made it clear today.
“I arrived in Paris for my last tennis tournament,” he said. “Competing for Team (Great Britain) has been the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m incredibly proud to be able to do it for the last time!”
Murray, 37will compete in Paris looking to capture lightning in a bottle and finish on the medal stand, once again. Murray is a two-time Olympic gold medalist after defeating Roger Federer in the final of the match 2012 matches in London, and won Juan Martin Del Potro in 2016 match to defend this title.
It would be a fitting end to a stellar career that was largely overshadowed by the names Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But the British were able to hit their armor with enough success to win 3 Grand Slam titles (2 at Wimbledon and 1 IN US open). He, too, finished runner-up in remarkable fashion 5 times at the Australian Open. Add in two Olympic gold medals and he’s put together quite the career.
(photo via X/Twitter)
During what will be considered the greatest era in men’s tennis, it is hard to overstate the importance of Murray winning Wimbledon, not once, but twice. IN 2013he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to become the first Briton to claim the title since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray recently spoke of his relief at winning the title, underlining the pressure.
“After I won it was just relief,” he said in a new BBC documentary. “It was my most important match because I believe if I was sitting here today without winning Wimbledon, then everything else I’ve achieved in my career wouldn’t matter.”
Despite the accolades Murray received during his career, for many he will be considered one of the greatest fighters ever. He endured many surgeries and medical procedures. He found himself in one physical recovery after another. And while some thought he should have hung up his racket years ago, the Scot kept fighting. Why? Because of his love for the game. He was willing to put up with all that, just to keep competing. He made that clear in his final farewell at Wimbledon.
“I want to play forever,” he told Sue Barker in front of his adoring fans. “I love sports. I don’t want to stop.”
However, Murray will stop and his days of being a competitive singles player are in their final phase. Many eyes will be on the Brit during his final hoping for a final run. Regardless of the outcome, make no mistake, Andy Murray will long be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the sport.
