2024 Paris Olympics: Andy Murray, the greatest ever British tennis player

2024 Paris Olympics: Andy Murray, the greatest ever British tennis player

Thursday 1 August 2024. Day six of the Paris 2024 Olympic tennis action. The last time Andy Murray would step out onto a tennis court.

Murray has struggled in recent years with injury problems, but his never quit mentality, which has earned him so much support and respect throughout his career, has remained present.

Dan Evans has been the perfect compliment during their Olympic run, supporting his long time friend, and demonstrating some inspired tennis along the way.

The duo came back from five match points to defeat Japanese duo Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori in a champions tie-break in a perfect illustration of the incredible fight that resembles Murray's career.

The pair would then come back from two more match points to overcome Team Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen as the fairy-tale run continued.

Unfortunately, the match against Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, the number three seed, would be one step too far. The American duo are both ranked in the top 13 in the world, and their quality eventually shone through defeating the British duo 6-2, 6-4.

The American pairing struck early in the first set , racing into a 4-0 lead after two breaks of service and then retaining service to secure the first set.

The dominance continued with two more breaks in the second. Murray and Evans had threatened to come back in the second set from 4-1 clawing back to 5-4 down after restoring one break of service. The crowd began to dream of another Murray miracle, but sadly it was not to be, as Fritz served out the game to secure victory for himself and Paul.

Despite the result not going Murray's and Evans' way, the crowd, alongside a selection of Murray's friends and loved ones, supported him all the way through, before providing the Scotsman with a beautiful send off after the match.

A worldwide fan-favourite, Murray will go down as one of the all-time British greats, winning 46 ATP Tour Titles, and two Olympic Gold Medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016, becoming the only player, male or female, to win two Olympic Gold Medals in singles.

Murray would also win the US Open in 2012, and in doing so became the first British major singles champion since Virginia Wade in 1977, and the first male champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

Further Grand Slam success awaited Murray, the Scotsman going on to win Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 to take his career Grand Slam titles to three. Murray's achievements are even more impressive given he won all his titles during the dominance of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, three of the greatest tennis players to ever grace the court.

As the player who reignited British fans' love for tennis and united the nation, Murray's forthcoming retirement will be mourned by all. The greatest British tennis player to ever grace the court.