Following his defeat with partner Dan Evans in the Olympic men’s doubles quarter-finals, Andy Murray has retired from professional tennis after nearly two decades on the circuit. This ends a storied career in which he won three grand slam singles titles (including two Wimbledon championships), reached world number one, won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in singles, and led Great Britain to Davis Cup victory.
From his resumé, it might seem that Murray enjoyed unbridled success, but the first phase of his career, between 2005 and 2012, was defined more by losses than victories. He lost his first four grand slam finals, and doubts grew – in his mind and in the public’s – about whether he would ever escape the role of “pretender”.
These doubts were assuaged with a stunning victory in the London 2012 Olympics, when he swept past Roger Federer in three straight sets. In beating Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, he delivered a decisive gold medal performance. This win was a catalyst for his first grand slam title at the US Open the following month.
