After the subdued, unexpectedly understated farewell to one of the highlight members of the greatest generation of men’s tennis, reactions were equally underplayed.
Andy Murray, paired up with the ferocious Dan Evans, was defeated in straight sets by the American pair of Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz in the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics on Thursday in what was his final competitive outing. As the few members that filled the stands displayed their affection, tears welled in his eyes as he said goodbye, this time conclusively. After failing to play singles at the site of two of his greatest achievements — Wimbledon and the Olympics — meek doubles defeats were to be his last act.
Later, he did not lose his flair for making light of the tough hand he has been dealt in the final years of his career. “Never even liked tennis anyway,” he posted on X, hours after the match on Thursday.
Big 4 eternity ✨
Thank you @andy_murray 🙏#Tennis pic.twitter.com/UPpBOSCYAa
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) August 1, 2024
Murray’s typically dry humour, and the unspectacular reception from a sparse crowd on a quiet Parisian night, may give this event, a long time in the making, a sense of contentment. But if the past five years are anything to go by, it evidently was not.
It was in January 2019 at the Australian Open that Murray had, true to form, converted a foregone conclusion of a first round draw match into a five-set grind, before finally accepting defeat as his body gave way. The tournament organised a mawkish, premature retirement ceremony. Hands were shaken. Well-rehearsed pleasantries were shared by former rivals and colleagues. Tears were shed.
That moment, and Thursday’s final outing, may share its similarities in being equally undeserving a stage for a player of Murray’s stature to be bidding farewell, but they could not feel further apart. Over the past five years, Murray has flirted with retirement, got hip replacement, returned to the tour with a metal hip, faced several injury setbacks and struggled with form, but throughout, attempted to squeeze every ounce of tennis that his talent and fading body could produce.
These five years may be the lowest point for Murray’s tennis, but at the same time, perfectly symbolise the tenacity and persistence he has shown his entire career to continue to do what he really loves — competing on a tennis court — no matter how hard it has been to do it. Work-life balance was never an option. A life post retirement was never a goal. Tennis was always the thing.
A generational talent 🗣️
Presenting @andy_murray‘s top 10 shots from an incredible career! pic.twitter.com/feM40HVyHR
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 2, 2024
And if five full years seem too much of a flashback, the past week alone is a microcosm of all the traits the 37-year-old has come to represent. Evand and him stared down the barrel of defeat twice only to inexplicably recover. They were down 4-9 in the deciding tiebreak in the first round against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel before winning seven points in a row to escape. They then saved two match points in the next round against Belgian pair of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen to extend Murray’s farewell tour by another day.
After bowing out of Wimbledon doubles, Murray expressed regret, saying he wished he could “play forever.” By the time Thursday’s defeat rolled around, Murray had come to terms with it all. “Even a few months ago, I was told when I first went to have my scan of my back and the issue that I had with it, I was told that I wouldn’t be playing at the Olympics and I wouldn’t be playing at Wimbledon. So I feel also lucky that I got that opportunity to play here and have some great matches, create amazing memories,” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
The Scotsman departs as an underrated great forever in the shadow of the ‘Big Three’ of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. A distinguished career regardless — with two singles Olympic golds, three Grand Slam singles titles, and 46 weeks spent at World No. 1 — but the trio that lifted the bar and created its toughest generation have 66 Major titles between them; Murray’s haul pales in comparison.
Yet at their peaks, especially that of Nadal and Djokovic who were the same age, Murray almost matched them in level of tennis, constantly battling with them in the later stages of the most important tournaments. There remained a sense of unfulfillment of his talent, he only won three of 11 Major finals he reached, an aberration and poor conversion rate for anyone in the sport, perhaps a sign of mental rigidity that never let him unlock his very best on the grand stage.
Ultimately, an Olympics farewell was fitting. It was in London 2012, reeling from a defeat in the Wimbledon final to Federer, that he beat the Swiss in the final on the same court to win gold, and took the next stage of his career. Over the next year, he won two Majors, including the Wimbledon title that the adoring British public were so desperate to see him win – the touch of irony in a proud Scotsman being appropriated by dyed-in-the-wool establishment-friendly Brits may be an argument for another day.
As the seemingly never-ending fight waned, Murray was glad the end came on court: “I’m glad that I got to go out here at the Olympics and finish on my terms.”
