Andy Murray Retires after Fritz and Paul End Olympic Dream
Locker Room
August 2, 2024
Andy Murray fought back the tears and saluted an emotional crowd for one last time as a player.
Then it was over. Twenty-one years of fighting and often winning big.
‘Legend,’ a young boy told Andy as he signed memorabilia before departing the court.
Andy Murray is indeed a legend. One of the greatest British sportsmen of all time. A nice guy too.
On this final evening of gladiatorial combat, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul were just too good. But even then there was defiance from Murray and his partner Dan Evans, who broke back when the Americans should have closed out.
Agonisingly, Evans hit long as hopes of a fresh Houdini act lingered. That finished a glittering Andy Murray career – and left Dan the Man in tears too.
But both men can be so proud of the last tango in Paris they gave the great Scot.
Don’t forget, Murray and Evans saved five match points in the first round of this Olympic tournament to overcome Japanese pair Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel.
They saved two more match points against Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen to keep the dream alive. The battling Brits had a ball in the French capital. Medals were not destined to be theirs.
Andy Murray has two Olympic singles golds to treasure anyway. Two Wimbledon titles, a US Open triumph and epic Davis Cup glory will all remain highlights when he looks back.
Here at Wimbledon Debenture Holders, we once asked whether Andy Murray could become a stand-up comedian if he wanted to.
‘No,’ his mother Judy replied simply – which was amusing in itself.
But a few hours after retirement, Murray posted something on X which indicated we might have been right all along.
‘Never even liked tennis anyway,’ Andy joked.
In reality, tennis has been his life. And coaching could now beckon for this particular tennis addict.
Andy summed up his decades as a player like this: ‘I’m proud of my career, my achievements and what I put into the sport. But I am genuinely happy just now. I’m happy with how it finished.’
Andy Murray won’t be a player at Wimbledon 2025 – and we will miss him.
Thanks for all the joyful memories, sir. Now go and enjoy your family – and maybe come back to help a young hopeful make some memories of their own.