Andy Murray is leaving in his own way, after 19 years as a professional and, in fact, after a lifetime linked to his sport: tennis for breakfast, tennis for lunch, tennis for dinner. Tennis at all hours and everywhere. And his fine British irony, of course: “I never liked it anyway…”, he transmitted this week through his social networks, once his farewell was confirmed with the fall in the Olympic doubles, at the Chatrier. The end of an extraordinary career. Pure school Nadaliana of struggle, suffering and commitment, but in the Scottish way: ankles, back, hips, operating theatres, double metal prostheses in the waist… And eternally, unbreakable, an unstoppable desire to play and compete, whatever the circumstances. Few tennis players have so much faith, so much pride and such fierceness when it comes to fighting back. A competitor with a trademark.
“I am fully aware that my rivals have had much better careers than mine, but for a time, I competed with them in the most important tournaments. I managed to reach number one in the world while they were all playing,” says the Scot, who managed to carve out a place for himself in the front row of the showcase at a time when he coincided with none other than the three giants: Federer, Djokovic, Nadal. He challenged all three, and was able to beat all of them at one time or another. It is enough to give an idea of the harvest: the summit (2016), three majors (Wimbledon (2013 and 2016) and the US Open 2012), 14 Masters 1000, two Olympic golds (2012 and 2016), the Davis Cup (2015) and 46 titles in total. But perhaps, above all, the recognition: Andy Murray, a good guy. Andy Murray, synonymous with fight, with roars. Andy Murray, or a very bad time for the guy in front of him.
“He didn’t mind going out on court for hours every day. An incredible professional. Worth studying,” describes Nole, who he beat 11 times, the same as Federer; Nadal succumbed seven times. Murray went down another path, surely less plastic, less virtuous, more robotic. But he triumphed. He inspired respect in abundance. His thing was defending, counterattacking, cut shots, drop shots, slowing down. Intelligence. A strategist through and through. Inspiring. Roberto Bautista, the man who suffered that first threat of retirement, in 2019, Australia, knows him well. The man from Castellón explains.
“He leaves behind an unconditional love for this sport and I would say that we need many more people like him, who love it as much as he does. Being as he has been, he has stretched it until the very end,” he highlights; “he has been my example, a player I have looked up to a lot. Even with a metal hip and in very limited physical condition, he has played for three or four years at a very high level. I really enjoy my day to day life, I love it; getting up and going to training, adding improvements to my game, going to training thinking about the next goal… It is like a poison that tennis gives you and he, in that sense, has always been an example of constant improvement.”
He has been my example, I have looked up to him a lot; he leaves an unconditional love for our sport
Roberto Bautista, tennis player
Low cap, high anklets and the big voice that has resonated throughout all the tracks, spitting out all the frustration: “Fuuuuuuuuck!”. On the bench, suffering the wrath and tasting the glory, from Leon Smith to Jamie Delgado, passing through Àlex Corretja (as technical advisor), Ivan Lendl and Amélie Mauresmo. A man (a figure) betting on a woman. Unheard of in tennis. “The level of sexism is unreal.” “If being a feminist means fighting for a woman to be treated like a man, then yes, I guess I am.” Fearless on the court, he was not afraid off it either. He openly expressed his support for Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum (“Let’s do it!”) and always defended equal pay between men and women in sport: “I am totally in favour.” Calm and familiar in his intimate environment – he has four children with his wife, with whom he started at the age of 18 – in competition he was a true erupting volcano.
“His personality and character are unique,” says German Boris Becker. “Andy is complicated. On court he could be the opposite of what he is in life,” Mauresmo said in a statement collected by the ATP, referring to his bad temper. And Mallorcan Jaume Munar adds: “He has always been a player who has fascinated me. I have seen him countless times and also when he used to come to train with Rafa (Nadal) in Mallorca. I think that, in a good way, he has a complicated character, and that amused me as a spectator. He has managed to have the capacity to adapt and constantly improve. In a very difficult era he has won everything. What more can you ask of him? He was extremely complete. I was one of those who, if he was playing on court 14 and had the opportunity to go and see him, I did. He was very inspiring.”
The 27-year-old Spaniard, ranked 72nd in the world, continues: “It’s not just what he achieved, but how he did it: he controlled his tempo very well, he served well, he returned well and he was very solid. He knew how to take matches to his own level. Beyond his character, he was much more balanced than people think. He had the ability to play faster or slower… In terms of variability, he was tremendous, and he played well on all surfaces. I think he had a phenomenal career that, in my opinion, is a little underrated by everyone; however, when you see what he has done in perspective, it’s amazing.”
Beyond titles and trophies, Sir Andy, who was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the then Prince Charles, managed to put an end to the ghosts and the decadent stigma that hovered over British tennis, thanks to the double conquest of Wimbledon and his projection on the big stages. He does not forget the United Kingdom where the former tennis player comes from: Dunblane, scene in 1996 of the largest child massacre recorded there; 16 children died shot by a teammate. Murray was there, and before entering the classroom he took refuge in an office when he heard the shots. He tells it in Andy Murray: Resurfacing (Resurfacing; Amazon, 2019). “We knew the guy. Twelve months later, our parents divorced. It was a tough time. And shortly after that my brother left home. We did everything together, so it was really hard for me. For about a year, I had a lot of anxiety. But the anxiety would go away when I played tennis,” he reveals in the documentary.
He was extremely complete, he knew how to set the pace and take the games to his level.
Jaume Munar, tennis player
Now, absolutely against her will, she is retiring from the scene and those who come to take care of her legacy. Competing as a way of life. “I think what she has done is brutal,” answers Paula Badosa. “And now that I am living a similar situation (competing with a chronic back injury), it seems even more brutal to me. She has a very great inner strength. I am sure that there were days when she woke up and could not even move, because I have seen her in the gym myself. She is made of different stuff,” adds the Catalan, 26 years old. “Criticism for having continued playing? People criticize for criticizing, whether you are blonde or brunette. If you analyze it with common sense, what she has done is very inspiring. There is nothing to criticize there, because in the end she is a person who is fighting for her dreams and for her passion,” she continues.
And the president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), American David Haggerty, concludes: “He has lived and breathed the values of tennis throughout his long career, defending equality and helping to send the message that our sport is for everyone. He leaves a great mark on and off the court.”
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