WATCH: Andy Murray's wife Kim Sears and mother Judy in tears as Brit breaks down during emotional Wimbledon farewell
Andy Murray could not hold back his tears as he received a standing ovation from the Wimbledon crowd after playing his last match at the All England Club. The former World No. 1 and two-time singles champion lost in the first round of the men’s doubles with his brother Jamie but was honored with a special ceremony that featured tributes from his rivals and legends of the sport.
Murray, who is set to retire later this summer, played his last match at SW19 on July 4, alongside his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles. The brothers lost 7-6(6), 6-4 in an hour and 28 minutes to John Peers and Rinky Hijikata in the first round. The 37-year-old, who has been recovering from a spinal cyst injury, previously withdrew from the singles draw after being unable to recover in time.
After the match, the Centre Court crowd gave a warm and heartfelt applause to the Murray brothers. British presenter Sue Barker then conducted a farewell ceremony for Murray, who was visibly emotional and choked up. A video montage of Murray’s career highlights was played on the big screen, featuring messages from his rivals and friends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams, and Novak Djokovic.
A video was shared by Wimbledon's official X (formerly Twitter) account, where Murray's wife Kim and mother Judy could be seen getting emotional during the ceremony.
Watch the video here:
Murray also received a standing ovation from the players and legends who were watching from the side of the court, including Djokovic, Martina Navratilova, Conchita Martinez, Holger Rune, John McEnroe, Iga Swiatek, and British players Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie.
"It is hard, because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t" - Andy Murray
During the on-court interview with Sue Baker, Andy Murray expressed his anguish, saying he would love to keep playing, but physically it had become too tough due to the cumulative effect of his significant injuries.
"It is hard, because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t," said Andy Murray (quoted via ATPTour.com). "Physically it’s just too tough now. All of the injuries have added up and they haven’t been insignificant."
The Brit shared his desire to play forever, highlighting his love for the sport and the valuable lessons it has taught him over the years.
"I want to play forever. I love the sport. It’s given me so much, taught me loads of lessons over the years that I can use in the rest of my life. But I don’t want to stop, so it is hard," he added.
Andy Murray, who has won three Grand Slam singles titles, is not done with tennis yet. He has been named in Great Britain’s team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The Brit will also play in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, partnering with compatriot Emma Raducanu. The pair will face Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai on July 6.