Andy Murray calling out journalist's sexist mistake during Wimbledon 2017 goes viral amid Harry Kane bringing back England's past failures
An old footage of tennis star Andy Murray has resurfaced on social media. This happened after English soccer star Harry Kane seemingly dismissed the achievements of the women's national soccer team amid criticism of England's men's soccer team's performance at UEFA Euro 2024.
The men's team received flak from players-turned-pundits after their 1-1 draw against Denmark on June 20. England captain Kane said he understood where the pundits were coming from but hoped the ex-players would be mindful of their comments as young players looked up to them.
Kane argued that while everyone has the right to have an opinion, England have not won any big titles in a long time and that many who are slamming the current lot were part of those teams who have returned empty-handed.
“I always feel like they have a responsibility. I know they have got to be honest and give their opinion but they also have a responsibility as an ex-England player that a lot of players looked up to. People do care about what they say and people do listen to them," Kane said (via The Athletic).
“Everyone has got their opinion but the bottom line is we have not won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well, so they know how tough it is," he added.
Kane's comments did not sit well with fans on social media, and many noted that the England women's team, the Lionesses, are the reigning UEFA Women's Championship winners (2022) and finished as runners-up at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Fans also brought up Andy Murray's name to contrast with Harry Kane.
They shared a video from Murray's press conference after his quarterfinal loss at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships. After losing to America's Sam Querrey, a journalist asked the Brit about the significance of "the first US player" reaching a Major semifinal since 2009.
Murray promptly corrected the journalist, saying Querrey was the first "male player" to achieve the feat. Serena Williams won multiple Major titles between 2009 and 2017.
Andy Murray's Wimbledon swansong in jeopardy amid injury recovery concerns
The 2024 Wimbledon Championships are most likely to be Andy Murray's last stop on the professional tennis circuit. However, those plans are now in peril as the 37-year-old suffered an injury during his recent campaign at the cinch Championships.
Murray was playing against Jordan Thompson in the second round at the cinch Championships on June 19. The match ended earlier than expected, as the three-time Grand Slam winner retired just five games in after enduring a back injury. The former World No. 1 has since undergone surgery to resolve the issue and is racing against time to be fully fit for the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on July 1.
Andy Murray is a two-time champion at SW19, winning the grass slam in 2013 and 2016. In 2023, he competed at the tournament as an unseeded player and defeated wildcard Ryan Peniston before losing to No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.