Eliminated on Thursday evening with Dan Evans in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Andy Murray has drawn a line under his long career. The Briton now wants to make the most of it.
The outcome was inevitable, but it is nonetheless sad. On Thursday evening, Andy Murray and Dan Evans lost in two sets in the quarter-finals of the doubles draw of the 2024 Paris Olympics tournament against the pair Taylor Fritz/Tommy Paul. This defeat thus put an end to the career of the 37-year-old Briton.
With three medals in five participations in the Olympic Games, the triple winner of a Grand Slam tournament (Wimbledon 2013 and 2016 and US Open 2012) had chosen the Roland-Garros stadium for his farewells. And they lived up to the character he was on the circuit. Moved to tears, Andy Murray left the tennis scene a few months after Roger Federer and before his two other “Big 4” comrades, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
In a press conference after this final defeat, the now retired player shared his feelings about this last match. “I feel good,” said the Olympic champion in singles at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016 in comments reported by L’Équipe. I am of course disappointed by the result and the performance, we didn’t really play well for a set and a half. In the end, we found something and if we had started like that, it would have been much more difficult for them. I am happy, it was a good tournament, of course, it’s not the perfect ending.”
A body that no longer follows
Physically bothered for several months now in different parts of the body, Andy Murray had therefore looked into this end of career by choosing his program, in order to finish according to his own wishes. “I knew for a few months that this moment was coming, admitted the retiree to L’Équipe. I was ready. Of course, I was emotional, it was the last time I played a competitive match.
But I’m happy, happy to have finished here, to have finished on my terms because not so long ago I was told I wouldn’t play at Wimbledon or the Olympics because of my back problem. There I managed to play some good matches and to collect a few more memories.” For the moment, the newly retired player has no plans for the future and intends to fulfill his role as a father at first without thinking about anything else.
Sad but happy at the same time, Andy Murray confirmed that his body could no longer support the demands of the high level. “It was very hard on the physical level,” admits the ex-tennis player.
The discomfort I feel, that’s why I’m happy to finish. If I had continued, I could have ended my career with an injury. I knew it was the right time. I had to have back surgery (due to a cyst). I couldn’t walk properly anymore, I was told that if this thing continued to grow and put more pressure on my nerves, it could become an emergency situation. That’s when you realize it’s time to stop.”
