Wimbledon said its emotional farewell to two-time winner Andy Murray as the British tennis hero’s last tournament at SW19 ended in bitterly disappointing fashion
Andy Murray will call time on a glittering career in a month – but the legendary Brit’s Wimbledon goodbye was anything but the fairytale ending he dreamed of and deserved.
Days after undergoing back surgery to remove a painful cyst, Murray pledged to put his creaking, tired body through one last gruelling battle at his home Grand Slam. The two-time Wimbledon winner might be 37, but his hunger is no less satisfied than when he lifted the pineapple-adorned trophy back in 2013 and 2016.
Yet his dream came to a crushing end over the past two weeks – one gut-wrenching blow after another. Initially scheduled to take on Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Murray’s surgery forced him to pull out of his last Wimbledon singles venture.
He teamed up with his brother Jamie in the hope that the men’s doubles would bring him the success he craved to cap off a stellar career. That too ended in tatters as they were knocked out in the first round.
Joined by his two eldest daughters, his wife, mum and dad, the Scot shed tears after an emotional post-match farewell ceremony presented by Sue Barker. She talked through his memories while past adversaries such as Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic delivered kind messages.
It was a bittersweet moment for the Murray clan and the thousands watching, with all eyes firmly fixated on his final hurrah alongside British tennis’ former new hope Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles.
Ending those hopes ahead of last Saturday’s clash, a statement from Raducanu read: “Unfortunately I woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist this morning, so I have taken the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles. I’m disappointed as I was really looking forward to playing with Andy, but I’ve got to take care.”
The 21-year-old, determined to prioritise her singles campaign after battling her own injury woes, effectively called time on Murray’s Grand Slam career as her decision came too late for the Scot to find another partner.
She sparked uproar by putting herself first ahead of her childhood hero – a gamble which sadly didn’t pay off as she exited SW19 with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 defeat to Lulu Sun in the fourth round. One broadcaster labelled the decision “astonishing”, adding: “It means Murray has played his last match at Wimbledon. Oh dear.”
Murray’s often vocal mother Judy appeared to chime in by offering her own thoughts on Raducanu’s decision, replying to the tweet on X with a blunt: “Yes, astonishing.”
She later moved to clarify her comments, saying: “Not sure anyone understands sarcasm these days. Pretty sure the scheduling will have played a major part in any decision making.”
Raducanu refused to blame herself for the way things panned out, saying: “I don’t think it was a mistake because I was feeling fine, then [Saturday] morning just woke up with stiffness. I have to prioritise myself, my singles and my body. I think it was the right decision. I stand by the decision. Obviously it was a tough decision, though, because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.”
When asked about Judy’s comments, Raducanu claimed she had been unaware of any reaction to her decision. However, she maintained people are “entitled to their opinions”.
“It was a very difficult decision,” Raducanu explained when discussing her withdrawal from the mixed doubles. “Of course, I didn’t want to take his last match away from him, but at the end of the day I think a lot of the players in a similar situation would have done the same thing.”
Murray’s Wimbledon pain is slightly softened by his inclusion in the Team GB squad for this summer’s Olympics. A third gold medal for the British hero in Paris is probably a step too far, and yet his matches will still capture the attention of tennis fans across the world.
What comes after Paris? No one’s quite sure yet, though he confirmed to Barker that he will return to Wimbledon next year – just not in a playing capacity.
He ruled out a future in the commentary box after trying his hand at it in 2018 with Nadal’s five-set quarter-final victory. “I didn’t [enjoy it],” he chuckled. “A commentary box is tiny, and it was a long time to be in there and I didn’t enjoy it that much!”
Murry did provide a clue as to where he sees his future, however, saying he would “probably be more comfortable sitting up there in a coaching box”. He is already a mentor to multiple players – and his vast knowledge and standing among current players ensures he will make a success of it, should he pursue a coaching career.
Whatever happens at the Olympics will cause Murray a great deal of pain when he finally leaves the court for the last time – an emotional strain matched only by his physical burden.
“It is hard because I would love to keep on playing but I can’t,” he said. “Physically, it’s too tough now. All of the injuries, they have added up, they have not been insignificant. I want to play forever, I love the sport, it has given me so much.”
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