There was not a dry eye in the house at Wimbledon on Thursday night during an emotional tribute to Andy Murray.
It was a remarkable and memorable occasion as the tennis world staged a glowing celebration of a true British sporting icon as he prepares to say farewell to the famous All England Club one final time.
Legends of the sport past and present contributed to an unforgettable send-off for Murray, who is due to end his illustrious 20-year playing career later this summer as he plans to retire after the Paris Olympics.
Back surgery to remove a spinal cyst a fortnight ago had put the two-time champion’s participation at one final Wimbledon Championships in serious doubt, and he was forced to withdraw from singles action on the day of his scheduled first-round match against Tomas Machac on Tuesday.
However, Murray was still able to compete in the men’s doubles alongside older brother Jamie for the first time at SW19, though unfortunately their campaign was quickly ended by a 7-6, 6-4 defeat by Australian duo John Peers and Rinky Hijikata.
Murray still has at least one more match to come at Wimbledon as he now switches focus to a mixed doubles bid alongside Emma Raducanu, who has a third-round singles match to come against ninth seed Maria Sakkari on Friday.
However, that did not stop the tributes to his incredible career flowing after that doubles defeat on Thursday night, with Murray sharing a hug with brother Jamie as he was treated to a standing ovation from the adoring Centre Court crowd.
You made us dream.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2024
You made us believe.
You made us cry.
And you made us proud. pic.twitter.com/yNsnkEsEhc
Murray was then interviewed by Sue Barker as the likes of Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and John McEnroe lined up on court alongside British players Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, his potential doubles partner for the Olympics later this month.
As he recounted the highs and lows of his two decades on the professional court, there was the sad admission that while he wants to continue playing, his body will simply no longer allow it.
“I would love to keep playing, but I can’t,” Murray said. “Physically, it’s too tough now. All of the injuries have added up. I want to play forever, I love the sport.
“It’s given me so much, taught me loads of lessons that I can use in the rest of my life. I don’t want to stop, so it’s hard.”
Arguably the most tear-jerking aspect of the night was a special video tribute to Murray that played out on the big screens at Wimbledon and to the fans on ‘Murray Mound’.
The four-minute clip, narrated by BBC commentator Andrew Cotter, showed footage throughout Murray’s career and greatest achievements, including his Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016 and his maiden Grand Slam triumph at the 2012 US Open.
The video also included tributes from a series of tennis icons, including Roger Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams.
Watch footage of Wimbledon’s emotional tribute to Andy Murray in the video above.
