‘I would love to play forever’: Murray retirement fizzes out

Andy Murray was a tremendous fighter. The All England Club’s most loyal and lion-hearted servant entered three events to maximise his farewell but he played only once.

Andy Murray at a press conference following a first round doubles defeat with brother Jamie by Rinky Hijikata and John Peers of Australia. Picture: Joe Toth-Pool/Getty Images

To quote Ricky Gervais, are you ’avin’ a laugh? Andy Murray’s final Wimbledon was such a fizzer that you must be ’avin’ a laugh. The All England Club’s most loyal and lion-hearted servant entered three events to maximise his farewell but he played only once … and was cleaned up by a pair of feisty Australians.

The 37-year-old Murray withdrew from the singles because of the back injury killing his career. Killing it slowly. There’s only the Paris Olympics to come. He partnered his brother, Jamie, in the doubles, only for Rinky Hijikata and John Peers to break British hearts by zipping through a straight-sets triumph. Murray’s best chance at grabbing a trophy on his way out the gates was in the mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu – but she withdrew on the weekend with a sore wrist.

A penny for details of that conversation. Raducanu: Sorry, Andy. I’m out. Bung wrist. Murray: Are you ’avin’ a laugh? The injury-plagued Scotsman’s final event ended because his young, energetic, glowingly healthy partner had a physical problem? You must be ’avin’ a laugh. The sport gods have a wicked sense of humour. Hopes of a fairytale farewell were a fantasy.

On how he would like to be remembered, Murray said: “I find those quite difficult questions to answer. I don’t think it’s for me to say how I want other people to view me.

“There’s things in my career that I’m really proud of. I certainly didn’t get everything right. I was far from perfect. I think the thing I did a really good job of during my career was that, regardless of the highs and lows, whether it was winning tournaments, having difficult losses, an operation, a setback, that I was able to treat the next day – I always came to work with the same dedication, work ethic and passion as I had the day before, regardless of the highs and lows that the sport has thrown at me.”

Murray was a tremendous fighter. He could also lodge a mid-match complaint or two.

“On match days I was not perfect, by any stretch, but I did always come to work and put in a good day. I gave my best effort. It’s for other people to decide what my legacy will be, but that’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

What a contrast to the shock and swift retirement of the 25-year-old Ash Barty.

“I would love to play forever,” Murray said. “Everybody’s different and everyone has different career paths.

The names of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu are removed from the order of play board as Raducanu announces her withdrawal from the mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images

“Some players, particularly the women, start at a really young age on the tour. I’ve been really lucky in the sport in terms of results and that’s not the case for everyone. A lot of tennis players live quite a different life. If you’re playing the lower levels of tennis, it’s really difficult. Financially it’s hard. It can be really, really lonely.”

Murray is a 50/50 proposition to play at the Paris Games. He was hardly firing on all cylinders against Hijikata and Peers. It felt like a ceremonial match that he was allowed to hobble through. There’s no such luxury at the Olympics.

“I’ve always loved the sport and I’ve never fallen out of love with any parts of it, really,” he said. “I’ve gone through difficult periods but, like I said, I would always wake up the next day and it wasn’t like, ‘I’m not touching a racquet ever again’. I was always desperate to get back on the court. I never lost that. I’m ready for it to end and I know the time is right. I can’t go on much longer and I was lucky to get back on the court one more time. I just wish it could have gone a little better.”