Andy Murray was visibly emotional at Wimbledon. The Centre Court crowd gave him standing ovations. There was a video tribute featuring messages from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Venus Williams.
Murray played a doubles match with his brother on Thursday, marking the start of his farewell tour at Wimbledon, a tournament that has been very important to him.
Despite losing 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the first round of men’s doubles against Rinky Hijikata and John Peers, the outcome of the match wasn’t the main focus that evening.
“The match itself was physically tough for me. … I was fortunate to even be able to get on the court to play,” said Murray, who had surgery to remove a cyst from his spine less than two weeks ago, which led to his withdrawal from singles.
Murray described the post-match tribute as emotional. “Watching the video was nice, but also difficult for me. Because it’s the end of something that I have loved doing for such a long time,” he said.
It was the first time in nearly 30 years that a men’s doubles first-round match was played in Wimbledon’s main stadium, a fitting start to Murray’s farewell — and a chance for his many fans to express their gratitude and good wishes.
Murray, a 37-year-old from Scotland, has announced that he will retire after competing at Wimbledon. He is also participating in mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, and plans to play at the Paris Olympics later this month.
“I’m ready to stop playing,” Murray said, “because I can’t perform at the level I want to anymore.”
During the match, Murray occasionally adjusted his back and seemed a bit uncomfortable, but he also shouted with joy after hitting a forehand winner to take a break and lead 2-0 in the second set. Shots like these had helped him become the top-ranked player.
It was the first time the Murray brothers had teamed up at the All England Club. They fist-bumped before the match and high-fived between points. Their mother, Judy, who taught both boys tennis, sat in a special area with Andy’s wife, Kim, and two of their four children.
“It was a fun experience for me to play with him out there,” Jamie said. “It felt a bit strange knowing the history.”
Andy Murray became a local hero by winning Wimbledon in 2013, becoming the first British man to win the singles title in 77 years at the All England Club. He won again in 2016.
His other Grand Slam victory came at the U.S. Open in 2012, the same year he earned his first singles gold medal at the London Olympics on Centre Court — “One of my favorite days I’ve ever had, especially as an athlete,” he said Thursday. His next gold came in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, making him the only player to win two in a row.
During the match, Murray displayed his usual habits, whether adjusting his white hat, tightening his shoe laces, or pumping his fist while looking up at the crowd.
There wasn’t as much of the intense emotion he was known for, the swearing and talking to his team or himself.
