An era of legends but Andy was the most fierce of all

NOW everyone knows the pain was always very much for real.

Not only did Andy Murray defy odds and opposition beyond formidable, he defied his body, a body protesting against the punishment inflicted by a young man determined to optimise every last iota of natural talent.

That Murray was struggling with a creeping, chronic hip problem has been apparent for a long while.

The tear-stained press conference in Melbourne confirmed it.

But as he faces up to crushing, cruel finality, it is worth remembering what made him one of the most remarkable sportsmen these isles have produced.

A wealth of wonderful ability, for sure. You cannot win Wimbledon twice, the US Open and two Olympic gold medals – not to mention lead Great Britain to a spectacularly unlikely Davis Cup triumph and become world No.1 – without being a gloriously gifted player.

And certainly not in the era of Roger Federer (above), Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal.

But there was always a relentlessness off the court that was the template for a relentlessness on the court.

There was always an incredible single-mindedness.

Single-minded enough to take himself to an academy in Barcelona as a teenager.

Single-minded enough to shun the showbiz strand of sport, to minimise commercial commitments, to sacrifice Christmases at home for a gruelling fitness regime, to resist a break from the strictest of diets.

That single-mindedness could spill over into unbecoming behaviour in the heat of battle, there is no sugar-coating that. Not even at this time.

But in the isolation of combat, there are not many elite tennis players without transgression.

Murray, one of the great champions of equal rights in sport, cares about the game, cares about the legacy he will leave.

He need not be worried about that. His legacy will be inspiring.

It will be about how drive and determination, allied to a gift, can take you to unimaginable heights.

In an interview ahead of his Grand Slam breakthrough in New York in 2012, when he beat Djokovic in five sets in the final at Flushing Meadows, Murray said this: “I’d love everyone to see the work that goes into it, because this is not just a case of having talent and believing that is all it takes.

“I am trying so hard to get that edge.

“If you are prepared to sacrifice just a little more than your opponent, it will give you an advantage.

“If you have done the extra mile, you might have the better of him.”

As he comes to the end of the road, Andy Murray certainly went that extra mile.

And for that, the world of sport is grateful.