Andy Murray’s Wimbledon farewell tour begins with a loss in doubles with his brother

LONDON (AP) — There have been tears from Andy Murray. Standing ovations from the Centre Court docket crowd. A video tribute replete with messages from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams. And, sure, a doubles match Murray performed alongside his brother Thursday, all a part of the primary cease on the two-time Wimbledon singles champion’s farewell tour at a match that meant a lot to him.

The Murrays misplaced 7-6 (6), 6-4 within the first spherical of males’s doubles towards Rinky Hijikata and John Friends — however the outcome was, actually, irrelevant on this night.

“The match itself, it was robust, bodily. It was onerous for me. … I used to be lucky I used to be even capable of get on the courtroom to play,” mentioned Murray, who had surgical procedure to take away a cyst from his backbone lower than two weeks in the past, forcing him to withdraw from singles.

“It was fairly emotional,” Murray mentioned in regards to the postmatch tribute. “Watching the video was good, however onerous as properly, for me. As a result of you already know it’s coming to the top of one thing that you just completely cherished doing for such a very long time. In order that was troublesome.”

It was the primary time a males’s doubles first-round match was performed within the occasion’s important stadium in practically 30 years, a becoming means for him to start to say goodbye — and for his many followers to supply their thanks and properly needs, too.

Murray, a 37-year-old from Scotland, has mentioned he’ll head into retirement after enjoying on the All England Membership, the place he’s additionally entered in blended doubles with 2021 U.S. Open winner Emma Raducanu, and the Paris Olympics, which start later this month.

“I’m prepared to complete enjoying,” Murray mentioned, “as a result of I can’t play to the extent I wish to anymore.”

Murray sometimes fidgeted together with his again and appeared a tad uncomfortable whereas enjoying, however he additionally let loose a celebratory scream after hitting a forehand return winner to go up a break at 2-0 within the second set, the kind of shot that helped him attain No. 1 within the rankings.

This was the primary time the Murray siblings had performed collectively on the All England Membership. They bumped fists earlier than the match started; they slapped palms between factors. Their mom, Judy, who taught each boys tennis, was in a visitor field, sitting with Andy’s spouse, Kim, and two of the couple’s 4 youngsters.

“It was a enjoyable expertise for me to be on the market and play with him,” Jamie mentioned. “It was type of unusual figuring out what the background was.”

Jamie’s youthful brother turned a celebrity in these components by profitable Wimbledon in 2013, making him the first British man to triumph in singles on the All England Membership in 77 years. He gained the title once more in 2016.

His different Grand Slam trophy got here on the U.S. Open in 2012, the identical 12 months he gained his first singles gold medal on the London Olympics at Centre Court docket — “Certainly one of my favourite days I’ve ever had, definitely as an athlete,” he mentioned Thursday — and the following, at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, made him the one participant with two in a row.

There have been a few of his typical mannerisms, whether or not it was tugging on the brim of his white hat or leaning over to drag on the tongues of his sneakers or clenching a fist whereas trying up on the stands. There wasn’t as a lot of the fireplace and brimstone he was well-known for, the cursing and muttering directed at his group or, simply as regularly, himself.

“Typically,” Djokovic mentioned throughout the four-minute video, “it appeared such as you towards the world.”

Then it was Federer’s flip to say: “However you had been by no means alone. As a result of when you you carried your individual desires, you additionally carried theirs,” referring to Murray’s many followers.

After the ceremony, Murray was greeted by a number of present and former gamers, together with Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Lleyton Hewitt, Holger Rune, Cam Norrie, Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe.

After which Murray walked over to his brother, and so they hugged.

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