Andy Murray has thanked Wimbledon organisers for an “emotional” farewell ceremony after his final outing began with a defeat to his older brother Jamie in the men’s doubles.
The two-time singles champion will play at the All England Club for the last time before retiring later this year.
After the match, a video montage of Murray’s career was shown on the big screen on Centre Court. The former world number one burst into tears, while thousands of fans showed their appreciation with a prolonged applause.
“It feels like a good ending for me. Whether I deserve it or not, I don’t know. But they did a really, really good job,” said Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016.
The Murray brothers arrived to a packed Centre Court to a standing ovation.
Another followed shortly after they lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 to Australian duo John Peers and Rinky Hijikata.
Murray’s parents Judy and Willie, his wife Kim and two of their daughters looked on as former BBC presenter Sue Barker led a moving ceremony shortly afterwards.
Former world number one Murray thanked his family, his teammates over the years and the fans for their continued support.
“It’s difficult because I want to keep playing but I can’t,” Murray said on the field.
“Physically it’s too hard now. I want to keep playing forever. I love the sport.”
Fellow Grand Slam champions Novak Djokovic, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe and Iga Swiatek applauded from the sidelines, along with British players Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie.
Murray will be back in action later this week after signing up for the mixed doubles event with fellow British Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu.
“It was obviously very special to play with Jamie, we’ve never had the opportunity before,” said Murray, who won his first of three major titles at the US Open in 2012.
“It was a race against time to get here and physically it wasn’t easy, but I’m glad we were able to do it together in one go.”
Why Wimbledon means so much to Murray
Wimbledon was the scene of many defining moments in Murray’s career, and the emotional bond between him and him was the reason he fought so hard to play singles one more time.
Murray’s chances of a final victory had been seriously questioned.
Three weeks ago, during a match at Queen’s, he suffered a back problem that caused him to lose strength and feeling in his right leg.
The only option was surgery on June 22 to remove a cyst close to his spine, but that left Murray racing against time to regain fitness.
Ultimately, he postponed making a decision until the night before his scheduled Tuesday singles match, realizing with a heavy heart that playing a five-set match was not possible.
It seemed like a good idea to play the shorter doubles together with 38-year-old Jamie.
The plan, initially conceived around the French Open in late May, became a reality.
No first-round match in men’s doubles had been played on Centre Court since 1995.
This event could not have happened anywhere else.
Murray reached his first Wimbledon final in 2012, losing to Roger Federer in a four-set match that left him in tears and changed public opinion of him.
Redemption came when he won Olympic gold against the same opponent on the same court four weeks later.
A year later, Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon champion by beating world number one Djokovic in a moment of national joy.
In 2016 he achieved another victory at the All England Club, which he says he enjoyed the most.
After both victories, Murray walked back through the marble corridors of Centre Court – as tradition dictates – and was given a guard of honour before stepping out onto the balcony to greet the adoring fans below.
On Thursday evening, Murray was again presented with a ceremonial walk.
Although Murray did not win the trophy again, it was the only farewell fitting for a player who has led British tennis with distinction.
How an emotional day unfolded
The Super Murray Bros were talked about all day long at the All England Club.
The famous Wimbledon queue, where fans wait overnight to secure one of the limited tickets for the next day (on a first-come, first-served basis), had grown to a line of 11,000 by mid-morning.
The Murraynators were there, that much is clear. A group of superfans who travelled the world to see their hero, slept outside Wimbledon Park and were rewarded with Centre Court tickets.
If you weren’t traveling with a tent and sleeping bag, you had to set your alarm for a time when most nightclubs usually close.
At the All England Club, fans who weren’t lucky enough to get a court ticket gathered on Henman Hill – sorry, Murray Mound. Hundreds were in place all day with picnics and blankets.
Back in the city centre, supporters took a break after top-seeded woman Iga Swiatek secured a three-set victory at around 6:30pm BST.
Then the change of the stage began. The net and singles poles came down, replaced by the longer doubles version.
After half an hour the atmosphere had brightened somewhat and the Murrays’ loved ones took their seats.
Andy’s wife Kim was flanked by their two eldest daughters, with mother Judy standing beside them. Father Will had also travelled from Scotland to watch.
Andy Murray stressed that the brothers were not just playing for show. According to him, they had a good chance to win the match and go far in the tournament.
The match did not go as hoped.
From the third game it was clear that the younger Murray was struggling with his movements.
However, his ‘will to win’ – the symbol of his tennis career – had not diminished.
The usual teeth-showing and fist-pumping was on display. And the grumbling towards his team.
Unfortunately, his body was not functioning the way his mind wanted it to. That has been a recurring theme over the past five and a half years.
At the 2019 Australian Open, Murray burst into tears during a press conference, saying he thought he would have to retire later that year due to a hip injury.
No singles player has returned to professional tennis after surgery.
Metal-hip Murray didn’t just return. He returned and won an ATP Tour title later that year. More memorable moments at Grand Slams followed.
But he could no longer reach the level that had made him one of the best players of his generation.
“The injuries were serious, quite serious,” he said.
“We worked incredibly hard to be able to get on the field and compete. Probably not at the level that we all wanted, but we tried.”
