Andy Murray ended his glorious professional career at the Paris Olympics. After three splendid battles in doubles alongside his friend and colleague Daniel Evans, the Scotsman said goodbye to tennis – to which he dedicated his entire life with passion and dedication – at the Paris Olympics.
For the former ATP number 1, often capable of keeping up with three legends such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, an important chapter in his life is coming to an end.
Andy Murray© Julian Finney / Staff Getty Images Sport
In an interview with Eurosport, the three-time Slam champion talked about the emotions he felt in this last week, also revealing who received the most emotional message.
“I’ve known this day was coming for a few months. Whether we lost a few days ago or we reached the final, I was ready. Now I have some time to do what I want and I can’t wait to do it. It’s been an incredible week. I felt the same way after the match last night too. I talked to Dan about that, but also about the week in general and how the Olympics were for all of us. We had a lot of fun and we’ll have great memories.
We could have easily lost in the first round, but we managed to come back a couple of times. We had a brilliant week. We wish we could have played better yesterday, but it was a great experience. This week I’ve felt tired, probably because of the emotional part. Last night, before the last match, I slept terribly, just a couple of hours. I don’t know why, whether it was the adrenaline or thinking about everything. Now I can’t wait to see what happens,” he explained.
Andy Murray© Matthew Stockman / Staff Getty Images Sport
Murray has received many dedications. One in particular moved him.
“I got a message from Bjorn Borg. He congratulated me and said I was one of the best of all time. To have been at the same time as Novak, Rafa and Roger meant a lot to me. To have become No. 1 while they were all playing was incredible. For someone like Bjorn to recognize that is really special. What they have won is crazy. What they have achieved is beyond the reach of anyone who plays tennis. It’s easy to forget that I’ve won a few Grand Slams and an Olympics. But I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in this period, I’ve worked hard for it and that’s all that matters,” he said.