Andy Murray jokes he ‘never liked tennis anyway’ as career ends after Olympic doubles loss | UK News

Andy Murray joked that he “never liked tennis anyway” after his professional career ended with a quarter-final defeat in the men’s Olympic doubles.

The prime minister led the celebrations for the British tennis great, who announced ahead of this summer’s Games that it would be his last tournament.

Twenty-one years after his first professional match and 19 years after he showed the world his talent as a wild-haired teenager at Wimbledon, Murray’s medal hopes were dashed when he lost 6-2 6-4 to American number three Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.

Murray retires after winning three Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals and one Davis Cup in what is arguably the most competitive era in men’s tennis.

He also reached number one in the world rankings.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tonight listed some of Murray’s career achievements, adding: “But more than that, thank you @andy_murray for two decades of phenomenal entertainment and sportsmanship. A true British great.”

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said: “Sir Andy Murray is the greatest Scottish sportsman ever and his achievements during one of the toughest periods in tennis history will make him a true sporting legend.”

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has also paid tribute to Murray’s “incredible career” after his retirement, while the Queen’s Club in London has announced that its centre court will be named after him from next year.

Just weeks before the Olympics, Murray’s Wimbledon career came to an end after he was eliminated from the men’s doubles event along with his brother Jamie and his mixed partner Emma Raducanu withdrew due to a stiff wrist.

Murray gave an emotional farewell to Wimbledon on a packed Centre Court, with his brother by his side and his family and friends in the stands.

That would have been a fitting way to end his career, but Murray, who has always been a fan of team events, wanted one last shot at the Olympics. On that stage, he managed to outdo his great rivals Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic by winning back-to-back singles gold.

Murray has been struggling with his body since the hip problems that nearly ended his career five and a half years ago and first knocked him out in 2017.

Since then there have been highlights, including an emotional final tour-level title in Antwerp in 2019, lower-level successes on the British grass last summer in front of his family and a couple of memorable Grand Slam victories.

But the return to the true pinnacle of the game that he longed for never came and Murray’s frustration with his own limitations and the compelling hand of time reached a breaking point.

Few doubt that the 37-year-old will rediscover his role in tennis, with the obvious prospect of becoming Davis Cup captain at some point. Earlier this week, he indicated that he would like to play in the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

And the way he won the Paris Olympics twice gave him a memorable farewell, even if it wasn’t the fairytale ending he had hoped for.

The illustrious career of a tennis icon

Murray, born in Glasgow and raised in Dunblane, Stirling, won gold at the 2012 London Olympics before winning his first of three Grand Slam titles at the US Open the following month.

He became the first British Wimbledon champion in 77 years when he won at the All England Club in 2013. He won the tournament for the second time in 2016.

Murray then became the only man to win two Olympic gold medals in singles when he reached the podium in Rio in 2016.

In early 2024, he indicated he wanted to finish sometime in the summer, but was vague about the exact date until making his announcement last week, just before the Olympics.