Andy Murray and brother Jamie beaten in men’s doubles as Sue Barker makes a comeback to lead tributes to British star on emotional Wimbledon farewell
- Murray, 37, is playing his final Wimbledon as he nears the end of a stellar career
Wimbledon began Andy Murray’s farewell with emotional tributes to the British star after he lost to his brother Jamie in the mixed doubles.
The two Murrays were defeated 7-6, 6-4 by the Australian duo of Rinky Hijikata and John Peers. This could well be his last appearance on Centre Court.
But the match itself was secondary to the tributes to Murray, who is playing his final Wimbledon, after the match.
Retired BBC tennis presenter and former player Sue Barker, 68, made a comeback as fans stood up to applaud the two-time champion. His wife Kim Sears, his two eldest children, eight-year-old Sophia and six-year-old Edie, mother Judy and father William were among those in attendance.
Murray, 37, was visibly emotional when shown a video featuring messages from Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, among others.
Andy Murray was visibly emotional as the crowd on Centre Court paid tribute to the star
Murray bids farewell to Wimbledon as he nears the end of a glittering tennis career
Sue Barker came out of retirement to lead tributes to Murray, 37, after his doubles defeat
Fans gave Murray, who withdrew from the singles event but will now play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu, a standing ovation as the British star wiped tears from his eyes during his on-court interview with Barker.
A number of tennis greats were also present, including Djokovic, Tim Henman, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and Lleyton Hewitt.
Murray spoke candidly about his Wimbledon victories, his Olympic gold medal and his defeat to Roger Federer in the 2012 final in his conversation with Barker.
“It’s always difficult to talk after a loss, especially after a Grand Slam final and at Wimbledon,” he said of the loss to Federer.
“That was the closest I’d ever been and it was obviously difficult. It was a pretty big moment in my career.
‘I’m not saying I’m the most outgoing or cheerful personality, but I think for the first time people saw how much I cared about the sport.
‘It was obviously an important match and an important moment in my career.’
A few weeks later, Murray took revenge for the painful defeat against Federer by beating the Swiss maestro on the same court to win Olympic gold in London 2012.
“It was definitely the greatest week of my life up until then,” he added.
‘To be able to turn that around after losing the Wimbledon final and now be able to play here was one of the best days I’ve ever had, especially as an athlete.
“It was nice to be playing at Wimbledon in the Olympics on home soil, and to beat Roger for the first time in a big match. And I also did a great job in the mixed doubles with Laura Robson. So yeah, it was a great week for me.”
More to follow