Following his defeat in the Olympic men’s doubles quarterfinals to partner Dan Evans, Andy Murray has retired from professional tennis after nearly two decades on the circuit. This ends a legendary career that saw him win three Grand Slam singles titles (including two Wimbledon titles), reach world number one, win back-to-back Olympic singles gold medals and lead Great Britain to Davis Cup glory.

Murray may seem to have unbridled success on his resume, but the early stages of his career, from 2005 to 2012, were defined more by losses than victories. He lost his first four Grand Slam finals, and doubts grew in his own mind and in the public eye about whether he could ever escape the role of “imposter”.

These doubts were allayed with his stunning victory at the 2012 London Olympics, where he defeated Roger Federer in three sets in a row. He delivered a decisive gold medal performance, beating Federer 6–2, 6–1, 6–4. This victory was the catalyst for his first grand slam title at the US Open the following month.

In the years that followed, Murray’s efforts helped turn tennis’s “Big Three” (Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic) into the “Big Four”. His victory over Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final is an iconic moment in British sport. By becoming the first Englishman to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title since Fred Perry in 1936, the Scottish tennis player etched his name into tennis history and became a British sporting hero.

Sports heroes come in many forms. Even casual observers could appreciate the artistry of Federer or the power of Serena Williams. The most impressive parts of Murray’s game were less obvious. He didn’t have a lightning serve or a ball-like forehand. Instead, he worked his way through matches, figuring out his opponent’s weaknesses and adapting as the match progressed. His greatest assets were his tactical intelligence, competitive spirit and supreme fitness.

Those first two qualities didn’t fade, but injury derailed his career at its peak. In 2017, he began experiencing severe pain in his hip. As he put it: “I was the number one tennis player in the world, but I couldn’t walk.”

The injury ultimately required two surgeries, endless rehab, and Murray’s return to competition with a metal hip.

By this time his legacy was secure, he was in his late 20s and had a young family – he had every reason to move away. But Murray endured. He lost early in major events, dropped from No. 1 in the world to the top 50, and played in lower-level “challenger” events to maintain a respectable ranking. While the glamorous highs of grand slam finals were not part of this closing chapter, Murray’s persistence despite his diminished physical abilities proved that sometimes it was enough to compete.

This final stretch of his career has not been short of highlights. His second-round win over Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 Australian Open was a highlight. The match, which lasted five hours and 45 minutes, was the longest of Murray’s career. The match ended at 04.05 local time, the second-fastest finish in Australian Open history. Murray proved unmatched in a battle of wills.

But his legacy extends beyond the trophy cabinet. Murray’s predecessor as British No. 1, Tim Henman, reestablished faith that British players could compete consistently in the latter stages of grand slams. Murray went a step further, becoming a multiple grand slam champion. He normalised the idea of ​​British grand slam success and showed aspiring British players the level of professionalism required to achieve it.

Ally of women’s tennis

While Murray was not an athlete activist who intervened in national political debates, she grasped the politics of her sport and her advocacy helped move tennis toward justice and equality. She was an outspoken critic of doping and advocated for athlete welfare measures. But perhaps her most significant contribution was as an ally to women’s tennis.

She has insisted in various ways on the equality of respect between the sexes, correcting interviewers who ignored women’s achievements in their questions and advocating equal prize money for events where men’s and women’s events were combined.

His appointment of Amélie Mauresmo as his coach in 2014 broke the taboos of female coaches in the men’s sport. It caused a stir, but Murray’s response to the controversy was excellent – ​​surprise combined with the obvious statement that “women can be very good coaches too”. While this relationship has not yet inspired an influx of female coaches onto the men’s tour, it has set a precedent and highlighted an implicit but ingrained assumption of inequality.

It’s fitting that Murray’s tennis journey ended at the Olympics. He describes his favourite tennis memory as his victory over Federer at London 2012. Competing at the Paris games, he joined an elite club of five-time Olympians.

This Olympic tournament was a highlight of Murray’s career. In the first round, he and Evans saved five match points in a row to win the deciding set tie-break 11–9. In the second round, they saved two more match points before winning the deciding set tie-break again 11–9. Although the medals were not his this time, Murray’s skill, determination and integrity represent the Olympic spirit.

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