LONDON – If this really is the end for Andy Murray at Wimbledon – It is, given your historyThere are those who don’t believe, or perhaps just don’t want to believe, the 37-year-old Scot will definitely never come back – he will be celebrated and remembered for all sorts of reasons.
Murray decided he was not ready to play singles so soon after surgery to remove a cyst on his spine, but was scheduled to compete in men’s doubles with his older brother Jamie on Center Court on Thursday.
And on Wednesday, the All England Club announced that there will be at least one more chance for fans to see Murray play in the tournament he will always be most associated with, because he and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu were awarded a wildcard entry for mixed doubles.
Asked how long it took her to accept Murray’s invitation to form a team, Raducanu replied: “Literally, like 10 seconds.”
“Some things are bigger than just tennis. Some things are a unique memory that you will have for the rest of your life,” she said. “At the end of my life, at the end of my career, when I’m about 70, I know I’ll have that memory of playing Wimbledon with Andy Murray (in) a home Slam. For me, yes, it was an honor to be invited.”
Murray won singles championships at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, the first of which made him the first Briton to triumph in singles at the All England Club in 77 years.
“I’m going to make sure I make the most of it,” Murray said of his farewell appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. “It’s easier said than done to just enjoy it when you’re out there because you’re competing and focusing, trying to win the match.”
One would imagine that viewers would simply want to watch, no matter the outcome.
“Most people already have ideas and opinions about him and what he means to them or what he brought to the tennis court. His determination, more than anything, probably overrides most things people might think. His almost ‘refuse to lose’ attitude,” Jamie Murray said. “In this country, he has taken many people on a journey with him over the last 15 years.”
Andy Murray said he plans to retire later the Paris Olympics; The tennis event will be held at Roland Garros, home of the French Open, and begins on July 27th.
Skeptics note that he announced he would resign in 2019 – a year after his first hip operation and just before his second – and there was even a ceremony and video tribute shown after Murray’s defeat in the first round of the Australian Open that January. . He, of course, came back playing with an artificial hip.
“You never know. He could be back next year. I have no idea,” said Katie Boulter, a British player ranked 32nd in the women’s category. “Never say ‘never’ with Andy.”
Murray’s accomplishments are many. The three Grand Slam titles, including at the US Open in 2012. The first place in the year-end rankings in 2016. The two consecutive gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games, the only player with more than one Olympic singles title in tennis.
He became Britain’s most important tennis player in decades, gaining enormous popularity and a knighthood awarded by Queen Elizabeth II, whilst remaining an outspoken statesman in his sport, expressing opinions on a range of subjects, especially when it comes to women. The hiring of Amelie Mauresmo as coach was innovative.
“He is the best role model a British tennis player can have, especially a Scottish player like me. I’ve watched him grow up,” said Jacob Fearnley, a singles wild card who faces 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic on Center Court on Thursday. “The way he’s risen up the rankings, the way he competes, the way he he pieces – it’s super special to see.
Coco Gauff, last year’s US Open champion, and other players have spoken out in recent days about Murray’s support for women in sport.
Gauff recalled the viral clip of Murray speaking at a Wimbledon press conference in 2017, when a reporter referred to Sam Querrey as “the first American player to reach the semifinals of a Slam since 2009,” and Murray interrupted to note that Querrey was the first US “male player” to do so during this period, because many women in the country did so.
“I appreciate it. Not only him, but also his mother, for everything they did for equality in women’s sports,” said Gauff.
As for the athlete Murray, Gauff mentioned a quality that many others have also mentioned.
“I think his legacy is that he’s just a fighter. The biggest inspiration I get from him is that no matter what court he’s playing on, whether it’s (at a low-level event) or Center Court here, he’s putting 100% effort into it,” she said. “It’s really a shame that he didn’t get one last healthy (singles) match here because I definitely think he deserves to end his career on his terms. I hope the pairings go well. … He’s definitely a sports icon. He had an incredible career that many people dream of.”
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