TENNIS: END OF LINE FOR MURRAY
FOR Andy Murray, it was always going to end in tears.
Not only did Britain’s greatestever tennis player win three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic golds and the Davis Cup, he has also taken his huge fanbase on the emotional journey through his career.
That didn’t change yesterday as he announced the end is nigh.
From a difficult start to his career, the Scot’s popularity with the British public grew so much he became the only person ever voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year three times.
And the tearful announcement of his imminent retirement yesterday was typical of the way he has worn his heart on his sleeve.
He first showed this sensitive side in Melbourne in 2010 after losing his first of five Australian Open finals – this time to Roger Federer. The previous year the Swiss superstar had cried after losing the final.
“I can cry like Roger. I wish I could play like him,” Murray said.
The Scot also broke down in tears speaking on Centre Court after his defeat in the 2012 Wimbledon final to Federer.
Streak
Three weeks later he rode a wave of home fervour to his Olympic gold and his winning streak was off and running.
Two Wimbledon titles and the first Davis Cup triumph since 1936 were among the many highlights. But since limping out of Wimbledon in 2017, the tears have returned. He struggled in his press conference at the 2017 US Open when he announced he was pulling out.
And after withdrawing from last year’s Australian Open, he wrote a long Instagram post alongside a picture of him as a schoolboy.
“I choose this pic as the little kid inside me just wants to play tennis and compete,” he wrote.
“I genuinely miss it so much and I would give anything to be back out there.”
He had hip surgery days later but hasn’t been the same since.
The world No.230 came into the press conference yesterday and when asked how he was, replied: “Not good” and then left in tears.
He returned three minutes later to announce his retirement plan.
When he goes – whether here or at Wimbledon in the summer – it will be an emotional moment, and not just for arguably Britain’s greatest-ever sportsman.