Andy Murray’s warrior spirit will continue to burn bright when finishes his illustrious career on a high at the 2024 Paris Olympics, revealed former coach Àlex Corretja.
Murray, 37, took to X to confirm that his run at Roland-Garros will be the final time he plays tennis professionally.
The news comes following months of rumours about the former world number one’s retirement plans, with persisting injuries threatening his form and fitness in tournament tennis.
There is perhaps no better location for Murray to draw the curtain on his glittering career than an Olympic Games. He has already played at four different Games and to date he is still the only male tennis player to win two Olympic singles titles.
While the chances of him picking up a third are slim, Corretja believes Murray is not joining the Team GB roster to simply make up the numbers.
“He’s been a warrior and he will always be a warrior. It doesn’t really matter what he does, he likes to win in everything,” said Corretja, an expert analyst for Discovery+, the only place to watch every moment of the Olympic tennis tournament.
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“When he’s at home playing video games, he wants to win. When he’s playing tennis he wants to win. When he’s watching TV and he tells you which team is going to win, he wants them to win.
“But at the same time he’s already got two Olympic gold medals. Whatever he does is going to be a bonus. I don’t think there’s anything to ask him to achieve anymore.”
Corretja, 50, coached Murray at various stages between 2008 and 2011, in a stretch which saw the Scot reach the 2011 Australian Open final.
Murray’s road to becoming an all-time great of British tennis began in earnest a year after that at London 2012, where he beat Roger Federer in straight sets at Wimbledon to win gold.
Spurred on by that result, Murray picked up a first Grand Slam title a month later at the US Open, but transformed into a household hero when he toppled Novak Djokovic on the Centre Court turf in 2013 to become the first British men’s Wimbledon singles champion in 77 years.
Murray won another Wimbledon title in 2016 and later that summer bested Juan Martín del Potro to claim Olympic gold for the second time at Rio 2016.
After reaching such heights, injuries began stifling the back end of his career, the latest being an untimely back injury which forced him to pull out of this year’s Wimbledon singles draw.
“I think the last few months have probably not been the best for Andy because he’s had his injury issues,” admitted Corretja.
“He unfortunately missed Wimbledon (singles) and he really badly wanted to play there.”
That being said, Corretja believes elements of the Olympic format could play into Murray’s hands.
“Going back to clay in Paris requires a lot of effort, but I think the good part is it’s going to be best of three, so Andy might not have to go too deep in physical conditions,” he said.
“We’ll see how he feels. He likes to play, but if he physically doesn’t respond then he will need to make a decision.”
Retiring from a tennis match has never been in Murray’s DNA. Even in his second-round match at Queen’s earlier this year, it took time for him to succumb to severe back pain and end the match.
“He’s just got to try and finish as good as he can and try not to suffer, because it is bad when you see a player that’s been doing so great end up suffering,” added Corretja.
“I hope he finds a way of enjoying the experience and whatever the outcome, it will be a welcome one.”
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Murray will have another shot a gold in the men’s doubles, where he will line up alongside Dan Evans on the Parisian clay. In preparation for the summer the pair entered the French Open, but lost in the opening round in straight sets to Thiago Seyboth Wild and Sebastian Baez.
The duo will be hoping a better fate befalls them this time around, much like Murray managed in 2012 when he won mixed doubles silver with Laura Robson.
Fairytale endings don’t happen often in sport and while the odds are stacked against Murray, Corretja knows all too well that the grit and determination that has come to define the former British number one’s career makes it impossible to count him out.
“With Andy he always surprises; you never know with him.”
Watch every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live only on discovery+, the streaming home of the Olympics.
