The most successful British player in tennis history retired following his defeat in the Olympic tournament on Thursday. Paired with Daniel Evans, the Scot was outclassed by Americans Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz (6-2, 6-4).
By Yann Bouchez
Published yesterday at 3:20 pm (Paris)
5 min read
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Andy Murray, during his last match at Roland-Garros, Paris, August 1, 2024. ANDY WONG / AP
There has been much talk of retirement at the courts of Roland-Garros in recent days. Much of it has surrounded Rafael Nadal, who has yet to announce his retirement following his elimination from the Olympic tournament in both the singles and doubles. Much less so Andy Murray, who is also competing in Paris. He, on the other hand, has made no secret of his intentions.
Perhaps the lack of media attention has been due to the fact that the 37-year-old Scot has not been crowned 14 times on the clay courts of the home of the French Openl. It may also be because he has been planning his retirement from tennis for the past five years. There have been countless press conferences in which he has hinted that it was imminent, that the time had come to hang up the rackets – well, not immediately, but soon, unless, who knows…
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At the Australian Open in January 2019, with reddened eyes and a busted right hip, the time to bow out seemed to have come. “The pain is really too much,” he confided before the cameras, his cap pulled over his eyes to hide his tears. “I don’t want to continue playing that way.” But, two weeks later, he underwent hip surgery, again. Since then, with his cobalt prosthesis, he has racked up the training sessions, albeit at a lower level. Pelvis problems, creaky back: Despite the pain, Murray has carried on. As recently as the beginning of the year, he said that he would stop during the summer.
Some British journalists thought the conclusion would come in mid-July, at Wimbledon. An operation to remove a cyst from his spine prevented Murray from taking part in the singles. With his brother Jamie, he was unable to make it past the first round of the doubles. Not exactly a dream farewell. And so it was on to the Games. At the end of July, a leading columnist for the Guardian summed up the situation, with a touch of British humor: “Murray has been retiring in slow motion for half a decade, a final lap with more stops than the Eras Tour,” referencing the numerous Taylor Swift concerts held all over the world.
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Ovation for the neo-retired
But this really was the last time. After the Olympics, it would all be over, he had promised, so he might as well savor it. With his doubles partner Daniel Evans, he had managed to extend the deadline until Thursday, August 1. The first two matches they played to arrive at this point were won in a scenario that oscillated between miracle and resurrection.
First, five match points were saved against the Japanese pair. Then, two more were avoided in the next round, against the Belgians. The British press was begging for more: Over the last few days, more than 20 journalists have been present at Roland-Garros, eager to catch the slightest glimpse of the future retiree. On Thursday evening, as night fell on Suzanne-Lenglen Court, Murray and his compatriot were outclassed by Americans Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz (6-2, 6-4).
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