Andy Murray’s professional tennis career came to an end with a defeat in the quarterfinals of the doubles tournament at the Olympic Games. The 37-year-old Brit had already announced that Paris 2024 would be his last event as a professional, and on this day, alongside his partner Dan Evans, they succumbed to the American duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul by 6-2, 6-4 on the Suzanne Lenglen court at Roland Garros.
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The British team resisted by saving a total of seven match points during the tournament, five in the first round and then two in the second, to prolong Murray's career. But Murray and Evans could not escape again against the United States duo, who were third in the seeding.
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Murray brought joy back to British tennis.
The Scottish tennis player won three Grand Slam titles in his career and is the only player in history with two gold medals in the singles at the Olympic Games: in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Others, like Spanish Rafael Nadal and Chilean Nicolás Massú, also have two gold medals, but one in singles and one in doubles.
Murray took care of ending the bad streak of British tennis players in a sport they invented: at the 2012 US Open, he became the first player from his country to be crowned champion of a Grand Slam since 1936 and the following year, at Wimbledon, he was the first Briton to lift the trophy at the All England Club in 77 years.
He also won Wimbledon in 2016.
Murray suffered a myriad of injuries at the twilight of his career, including two hip surgeries, one to implant a prosthesis in 2019.
What was the reaction to Murray's farewell?
Andy Murray's retirement generated heartfelt reactions worldwide, not only in the sports world.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, said “thank you for two decades of phenomenal entertainment and sportsmanship.”
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz wrote “congratulations on a legendary career and for being an example to all.”
At the same time, the Queen's tournament announced that starting in 2025, the main court will be named "The Andy Murray Arena."
But the best post came from Murray himself, who said: “Never even liked tennis anyway.”