Wimbledon bids farewell to Andy Murray with an emotional tribute

They left all of that behind and packed into Centre Court anyway, donning Wimbledon-hued blankets and covering bare necks with scarves as the sun began to set. They rose and lifted their phones just after 7 p.m. when he walked onto the court, those with free hands starting the first waves of applause, everyone united in a desire to fete Andy Murray one more time.

“C’mon, Andy!” one fan yelled in that familiar cadence before the umpire had even performed the coin toss.

The cry continued throughout the night, from voices young and old, bellowed as much to spur on Murray and older brother Jamie in a loss to Australians John Peers and Rinky Hijikata as it was for posterity.

Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion who returned British tennis to glory and forged a legacy as perhaps the most relatable and earnest member of the recent golden era of men’s tennis, still has tennis to play at the All England Club. He will partner with compatriot Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles draw.

But Thursday was the official farewell from his home tournament after a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 loss in which it was apparent the 37-year-old is still experiencing mobility issues after having surgery June 22 to remove a cyst from his back. The procedure was the latest in a marathon cycle of injury and recovery in which Murray has been stuck since 2018, when he had the first of two major hip operations. He returned from a second in 2019 to play, improbably, with a metal hip — winning just one title since but with every grueling match reminding fans of his champion’s will and unyielding passion.

Thursday’s match itself felt beside the point — except that it gave his mother, Judy; his father, Will; his wife, Kim; and their two oldest children a chance to watch him play doubles with his older brother for the first time at a Grand Slam.

“Our words don’t do it justice, how good he is,” Peers said in a perfunctory winners’ speech before ceding the mic so an evening of tributes could commence.

Sue Barker, a former player and legendary television presenter for the BBC, returned briefly from retirement to handle the on-court interview as cries of “Suuuuuue” rained down amid a celebration of British tennis in full force. She began by asking Murray about his first Wimbledon final in 2012, which he lost to Roger Federer. The question gave the Scot a chance to remind the tennis world what it will miss with his nature — equal parts dry, acerbic and deeply sincere.

“I’m not saying I’m the most outgoing or bubbly personality,” Murray deadpanned about that loss. “But I think people saw how much I cared about sports — for the first time, maybe.”

He won the U.S. Open later that year for his first of three Grand Slam trophies, then beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets the year after to become the first British man to win the Wimbledon singles title in 77 years. His second Wimbledon crown came in 2016.

Murray reminisced in front of an impressive lineup Thursday. John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Conchita Martinez, Iga Swiatek, Djokovic and the current British No. 1, Jack Draper, attended the on-court ceremony, and Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic took turns addressing Murray in a video retrospective of his career. Venus Williams was part of the video, too, participating as both a friend and a fellow champion for gender equality in tennis. Murray was the rare male player who was a vocal advocate for women’s tennis throughout his career, often correcting reporters who overlooked the achievements of women’s players.

He said he hopes fans remember him for the dedication he showed.

“I think the thing that I did a really good job of during my career was that, regardless of the highs and lows — whether it was winning tournaments, having difficult losses, an operation, a setback — … I always came into work with the same dedication, work ethic and passion as I had the day before,” Murray said. “… I certainly didn’t always get it right. On the match days, I was not perfect by any stretch, but I did always come into work and put in a good day. I gave my best effort.”

After all the pomp and circumstance, Murray acknowledged how difficult even a doubles match was. He clearly had issues moving, at times drawing gasps from the crowd when he pulled up sharply after a shot, and he couldn’t serve anywhere near his top speed.

He reiterated that he wasn’t retiring because his love of tennis had faded. His body dictated the end of his career, as has happened for so many of his peers. Murray said he has made peace with that. He plans to go on vacation with his family, play at the Paris Olympics and then retire.

“That’s something that, yeah, I guess is a bit out of my control. If I knew my body was going to be able to do it, I would play — there’s nothing about the sport that I hate and … don’t want to do it anymore for this reason. I like the traveling. I love the competition, practicing, trying to get better, all those things,” Murray said. “I know that it’s time now. I’m ready for that.”

After the tributes, Murray walked off Centre Court, stopping to hug every former player he saw, and then made his way through the stadium until he emerged on a walkway above the grounds. Members of the crowd realized they could glimpse their homegrown champion one more time, so they ran to wave goodbye.