Tag: Andy Murray

Wimbledon organisers are planning to honour two-time champion Andy Murray with a statue at the All England Club.

Andy Murray, who ended a 77-year wait for a British winner of the men’s singles title in 2013 before winning again in 2016, retired after the Paris Olympics last year.

Wimbledon hopes the statue will be unveiled in 2027, coinciding with the championship’s 150th anniversary.

“We are looking to have a statue of Andy Murray here (Wimbledon) and we’re working closely with him and his team,” All England Club chair Debbie Jevans told the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast.

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“The ambition is that we would unveil that at the 150th anniversary of our first Championship, which was 1877.

“He’s got to rightly be very involved in that and him and his team will be.”

A bronze statue of Fred Perry, the last British men’s champion before Murray, was erected at Wimbledon in 1984 to mark the 50th anniversary of his first singles championship.

Tennis greats John McEnroe and Billie Jean King are among those that have previously called for Murray to be honoured in similar fashion at Wimbledon.

For context, Andy Murray has three Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals, and a Davis Cup victory in his successful career.

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Novak Djokovic would not commit to working with Andy Murray again as his coach after the Serb retired from the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday with injury.

The 10-time Melbourne Park champion had just lost a first-set tiebreak to Alexander Zverev when he called it a day, unable to continue with a thigh muscle tear sustained earlier in the tournament.

Djokovic enlisted five-time Melbourne Park finalist Andy Murray to help his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title.

It seemed to be working as Djokovic outsmarted Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, despite the injury.

“I don’t know,” said Djokovic when asked by reporters if the two tennis greats, who have 27 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic golds between them, might team up again.

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“You know, we both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps. We are so fresh off the court.

“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.”

Novak Djokovic said that with emotions running high after such a dramatic end to his tournament, it would be better to wait for the dust to settle before taking any rash decisions.

“We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are,” said Djokovic.

“I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”

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Andy Murray is prepared to face the pressure from Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, as he believes that the “unique opportunity” to coach him is worth it.

The Serbian 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic made the shock decision to hire Murray in November, just months after the Scot called time on his playing career.

In his first comments since then, fellow former number one Murray, who has known Djokovic since their junior playing days, said the call came out of the blue.

“I said to him: ‘Look, I need to think about it and talk to my family,'” the BBC quoted Murray as saying.

“So I spoke to them and after a couple of days I thought that it was a pretty unique opportunity and experience.

“I thought it would be a good idea to try it.”

Andy Murray is himself a three-time major winner — and five-time finalist in Australia — with both players members of the so-called “Big Four”, along with Rafael Nadal, who retired last year, and Roger Federer, who left the sport in 2022.

Djokovic and Murray faced each other 36 times in their careers with the Serb winning 25 of them.

Nineteen of those clashes came in finals, with both men known for sounding off at their box in pressure moments. This time it could be Murray on the receiving end.

“I know it’s not easy out there — it’s stressful and at times he’s going to want to vent towards his team and his box,” said Murray.

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“Providing that he’s giving his best effort and trying as hard as he can, I’m absolutely fine with him expressing himself how he wants.”

Djokovic said Murray inspired him and he was enjoying the collaboration.

“I think that his unique perspective on my game is the fact that he has played me for 25 years,” the Serbian star said on Friday. “He knows the evolution of my game, I guess the weaknesses and strengths of my game.”

“He also knows the game, the tennis game, of the biggest players in the world right now because he has just recently retired as a player.

“I’m excited to start the tournament with him,” he added.

With Novak Djokovic chasing an 11th Australian Open title and record 25th major, Murray made clear he was not in town for a holiday.

“At times it’s very enjoyable. But high performance is not supposed to be laughs and jokes and messing around,” he said.

“In all the times I’ve been on tour, I haven’t seen that from any of the best players in the world.

“I’ve seen it from some of the lower-ranked players, and that’s one of the reasons why they’re not there.”

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Andy Murray said he was retiring “on my terms” as his trophy-filled career came to an emotional end at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday, closing another chapter on tennis’s golden generation.

The former world number one and three-time Grand Slam title winner slipped into retirement aged 37 when he and Dan Evans lost in the men’s doubles quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul delivered the knockout blow with a 6-2, 6-4 victory on a packed Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Britain’s Murray had already announced that the Paris Olympics 2024 would be his last event. “I’m proud of my career, my achievements and what I put into the sport,” said Murray.

“Obviously it was emotional because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match. But I am genuinely happy just now. I’m happy with how it finished.”

He added: “I’m glad I got to go out here at the Olympics and finish on my terms because at times in the last few years that wasn’t a certainty.”

Just a few hours after Murray had made his exit, he cheekily wrote on X: “Never even liked tennis anyway”.

Career-long rival Novak Djokovic described Murray as “an incredible competitor”.

“One of the greatest warriors tennis has seen. His fighting spirit is definitely something that I’m sure is going to inspire many generations to come,” said Djokovic.

One of the ‘Big Four’ in the sport, Murray joins 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer in retirement after the Swiss great quit in 2022.

Rafael Nadal, the winner of 22 majors but battling more injuries at the age of 38, exited the Paris Olympics on Wednesday and suggested that he had played his last match at Roland Garros, where he won 14 of his Slams.

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Nadal also effectively ruled himself out of the US Open, sparking more speculation that the great Spaniard is also finished in the sport.

That would leave just 37-year-old Djokovic — winner of a record 24 Grand Slams — still active amongst the sport’s eminent talents who have carved up 69 majors between them.

Murray famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he triumphed in 2013, defeating Djokovic in the final.

He added a second title in 2016, taking his career majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.

Murray won gold at the 2012 Olympics on an emotional day at the All England Club when he defeated Federer just weeks after he had lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss on the same Centre Court.

Four years later he defeated Juan Martin del Potro to become the first player, man or woman, to win two Olympic singles golds.

Murray also led Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015, the country’s first in 79 years. He has won 46 titles in all and banked around $65 million in prize money. However, he has been ravaged by injuries in recent years, slumping to 117th in the world.

The Scot has played with a metal hip since 2019 and suffered ankle damage earlier this year before undergoing surgery to remove a spinal cyst, which ruled him out of singles at Wimbledon.

Instead, he played doubles with brother Jamie and was defeated in the first round before an emotional tribute arranged by tournament chiefs.

“It’s hard because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t,” admitted Murray at the All England Club.

“Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant.”

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Andy Murray withdrew from the tennis singles at the Paris Olympics on Thursday but the two-time gold medallist will play doubles in what will be the final event of his glittering career.

The British former world number one, who will retire at the end of his fifth Games, has still not fully recovered from back surgery last month.

He believes the men’s doubles, where he is playing with Dan Evans, offers his best chance of another medal.

“I’ve taken the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan,” said the 37-year-old.

“Our practice has been great and we’re playing well together. Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time.”

Murray won gold in singles at the London Olympics in 2012 and in Rio four years later, as well as silver in mixed doubles with Laura Robson in 2012.

His withdrawal means his final singles match was his brief second-round appearance at Queen’s Club against Jordan Thompson last month before he was forced to pull out because of a spinal cyst.

For the unversed, Andy Murray confirmed on Tuesday that he would retire after the Paris Olympics.

“Competing for Great Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get to do it one final time,” the three-time Grand Slam champion posted on social media.

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Murray has been ravaged by injuries in recent years, slumping to 121st in the world. He has played with a metal hip since 2019 and suffered ankle damage earlier this year.

Murray was not fit enough to play singles at Wimbledon this month due to his back surgery but played doubles with his brother Jamie and was defeated in the first round before an emotional tribute arranged by tournament chiefs.

“It’s hard because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t,” admitted Murray at the All England Club.

“Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant.”

Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he triumphed in 2013, defeating rival Novak Djokovic in the final.

He added a second title in 2016, taking his career majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.

Murray won gold at the 2012 Olympics on an emotional day at the All England Club when he defeated Roger Federer just weeks after he had lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss on the same Centre Court.

Four years later, he defeated Juan Martin del Potro to become the first tennis player, male or female, to win two Olympic singles golds.

Murray also led Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015, the country’s first in 79 years. He has won 46 titles in all and banked around $65 million in prize money.

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Former world number one and three-time Grand Slam title winner Andy Murray confirmed on Tuesday that he will retire after the Paris Olympics.

“Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament @Olympics. Competing for Great Britain have been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get do it one final time,” the 37-year-old wrote on social media.

Now ranked at 121, and playing with a metal hip since 2019, time has caught up with Murray who suffered ankle damage this year and underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his spine which ruled him out of singles at Wimbledon.

Instead, he played doubles with his brother Jamie and was defeated in the first round.

“I want to play forever, I love the sport and it’s given me so much. It’s taught me loads of lessons over the years I can use for the rest of my life. I don’t want to stop so it is hard,” admitted Murray at the All England Club.

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Andy Murray famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he triumphed in 2013, defeating career-long rival Novak Djokovic in the final.

He added a second title in 2016, taking his career majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.

Murray won gold at the 2012 Olympics on an emotional day at the All England Club where he defeated Roger Federer just weeks after he had lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss on the same Centre Court.

Four years later, he defeated Juan Martin del Potro to become the first player, male or female, to win two Olympic singles golds.

Murray also led Britain to the Davis Cup in 2015, the country’s first in 79 years.

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Carlos Alcaraz defeated 269th-ranked qualifier Mark Lajal at the start of his Wimbledon title defence on Monday as Andy Murray decided whether or not to call a halt to his All England Club singles career.

As action got underway, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka was heading home after withdrawing from the tournament with a shoulder injury.

Alcaraz, still only 21, is chasing his fourth Grand Slam title and hopes to become just the sixth man after Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

Opening the Centre Court programme, Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a breakdown in each of the first two sets to see off the dreadlocked Lajal 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 6-2.

“He played a really good match, he obviously surprised me a little bit because I didn’t have the chance to see him play a lot,” said Carlos Alcaraz.

This time last year, Lajal was losing a first-round match at a second-tier Challenger event in the United States and earning a paltry $780 — on Monday he banked $75,000.

Two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabalenka, ranked third in the world, is one of eight players to have pulled out since the draw was made.

She had admitted she was not 100 per cent fit after suffering a shoulder injury at the Berlin Open and has been replaced by Russian lucky loser Erika Andreeva.

“Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play The Championships this year,” wrote 26-year-old Sabalenka on X.

Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev reached the second round and admitted he was happy not to be playing on the All England Club’s famed Centre Court.

Medvedev, a semi-finalist last year, hit 16 aces in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States.

“I’ve still never lost on Court One so hopefully I can play a lot more matches on this court,” said Medvedev.

“Last year I said it was unfortunate I had to go to Centre Court for the semis and I lost.”

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Eighth seed Casper Ruud, who has never been past the second round, saw off Alex Bolt of Australia in straight sets and revealed he had been laid low by a parasite since reaching the French Open semi-finals.

“I was mostly in bed for 10, 11 days, which was not what I was kind of hoping for,” said the Norwegian.

Three-time Grand Slam title winner Stan Wawrinka won his Wimbledon opener at the age of 39, beating British wild card Charles Broom 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

“I think there is enough reason to keep playing. I don’t want to go home,” said Wawrinka, who made his debut at Wimbledon in 2005.

World number one Jannik Sinner, a semi-finalist in 2023, starts against Yannick Hanfmann, the German world number 110.

The 22-year-old Sinner won a maiden Slam at the Australian Open and then deposed Djokovic as world number one, becoming the first Italian man to reach such heights.

Sinner arrives in London having captured his first grass-court title in Halle.

Andy Murray, champion in 2013 and 2016, will reveal later Monday if he will play singles at his farewell Wimbledon.

The former world number one underwent surgery to remove a cyst on his spine last week and admitted he still has not fully recovered feeling in his leg.

Murray, whose 2013 triumph ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon, is due to face Czech world number 39 Tomas Machac on Tuesday.

If he cannot make that date, he still hopes to play doubles with brother Jamie before bringing the curtain down on his Wimbledon career, which began 19 years ago.

“I’m hoping maybe for a bit of closure. I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there hopefully on Centre Court and feel that buzz,” said 37-year-old Murray.

Elsewhere on opening day, women’s second seed and US Open champion Coco Gauff takes on American compatriot Caroline Dolehide.

Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka tackles Diane Parry of France in her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2019.

Osaka, who only returned to the tour at the start of the season afer maternity leave, is ranked at 113 and required a wild card to play at Wimbledon.

At the recent French Open, she gave world number one Iga Swiatek a mighty scare, holding a match point in their second-round clash before the Pole prevailed.

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Confusion surrounded the Wimbledon fate of two-time former champion Andy Murray after back surgery appeared to rule him out of this year’s tournament.

The Scot had been aiming to make a farewell appearance at the grass court Grand Slam, which he won in 2013 and 2016.

However, the 37-year-old will need an expected six weeks to recover from a spinal cyst operation, with Wimbledon starting on July 1.

He now also faces a race against time to be fit for next month’s Paris Olympics, with Murray twice a gold medallist in the singles.

The ATP Tour, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said Sunday that Murray had been ruled out of Wimbledon.

But the post was subsequently deleted, with neither Murray nor his management company yet to confirm if he will be appearing at Wimbledon.

The ATP post said: “After an operation on a spinal cyst, Andy Murray is sadly out of Wimbledon. Rest up and recover Andy, we’ll miss seeing you there.”

Andy Murray managed just five games before a back injury forced him to withdraw from his second-round match against Australia’s Jordan Thompson at the Queen’s warm-up event in London on Wednesday.

The former world number one, who plays with a metal hip, struggled from the start of his match against Thompson and said afterwards he had a feeling of weakness in his right leg and had lost coordination.

“I never had that loss of coordination, control and strength in my leg before,” Murray said shortly after retiring from his match with Thompson.

“I’ve been struggling with my back for a while — I had lost the power in my right leg so lost all motor control, I had no coordination and couldn’t really move.”

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Asked then about his prospects of playing at Wimbledon, he added: “Like all tennis players, we have degenerative joints and stuff in the back, but it’s all predominantly been left-sided for me my whole career.

“I have never had too many issues with the right side. So maybe there is something that can be done between now and then to help the right side.”

Murray underwent minor back surgery in 2013 and following a first-round loss at the recent French Open he said he would need treatment to address soreness.

The three-time Grand Slam champion only returned to competitive action in May after nearly two months out with an ankle injury.

He had been due to play singles and doubles with his brother Jamie at Wimbledon before potentially ending his career at the Olympics in Paris.

Andy Murray has had previous back injuries and underwent surgery in 2013, while also suffering from soreness in recent weeks.

Queen’s — a tournament he has won five times — was just his fourth event following almost two months out with an ankle injury.

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Andy Murray has pulled out of events in Monte Carlo and Munich next month with no timeline set for the three-time Grand Slam champion’s return to court after tearing ankle ligaments at the Miami Open.

Murray said earlier this year he did not plan to “play much past this summer” after slipping down the world rankings due to fitness problems and a struggle to recapture his best form.

A two-time Wimbledon champion, Murray was preparing for a farewell appearance at the All England Club and hopes to take part in one more Olympic Games in Paris in July.

However, with just over three months until Wimbledon, Murray faces a race against time to be fit.

The Scot said he had suffered a full rupture of his anterior talofibular ligament and a near full-thickness rupture of his calcaneofibular ligament in a third-round defeat in Miami to Tomas Machac on Sunday.

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“Following consultation with his team and medical experts, Andy Murray has taken the decision to miss the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters and BMW Open Munich,” said a statement from Murray’s management team on Friday.

“At this stage, it is still not clear how long Andy will be out of action, and he is continuing to review options with his medical team.

“Obviously this is very disappointing news for Andy and he has reiterated his desire to get back on court as soon as possible.”

The two-time Olympic champion also has little time to qualify for the Paris Games.

Direct entry into the Olympic men’s singles will be given to the top 56 players in the ATP rankings on June 10 with Murray currently 62 in the world.

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Britain’s Andy Murray faces an “extended period” out of tennis after suffering serious ankle injuries in his third-round exit from the Miami Open on Sunday.

Murray exited the Miami Open for the final time and in characteristic style, he did so with a performance full of grit and skill but also plenty of passion.

The emotion of the game itself, a missed chance for a third straight win in a tournament for the first time in over a year, was enhanced by Murray knowing this week was his final appearance in a city he calls his “tennis home”.

The two-times Miami winner lost out in a thrilling third set tie-break to Czech Tomas Machac, managing to battle on after receiving treatment for an ankle injury.

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While he continued to play and was initially optimistic about his ankle he said on Monday that he had suffered a full rupture of his anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and a near full-thickness rupture of his calcaneofibular ligament (CFL).

“I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine the next steps,” Murray posted on Instagram.

“Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period. But I’ll be back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right,” he said.

 

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Murray, who will be 37 in May, has already indicated he will retire later this year after battling back from hip surgery in 2019.

He is likely to play at the Olympics in Paris and Wimbledon, where he has won twice, before departing from the sport.

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