NEW DELHI: Briton Andy Murray and the only male player to win two Olympic singles gold medals, announced on Tuesday that he plans to retire after the tennis competition at the Paris Games, which will be the last event of his illustrious career.
Murray, considered one of the greatest British athletes of all time, captured gold at the London 2012 Olympics by defeating Roger Federer in the final. He then successfully defended his title four years later in Rio, overcoming Juan Martin del Potro in the championship match.
Despite battling numerous injuries, the 37-year-old Murray made history in 2013 by becoming the first British men's singles champion at Wimbledon in 77 years, a feat he repeated in 2016. Prior to his announcement, he had indicated that he would likely not continue playing beyond the current year.
"Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament @Olympics," Murray said on X.
"Competing for Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I'm extremely proud to get do it one final time."
Murray bid an emotional adieu to Wimbledon, the site of two of his three grand slam victories, after losing in the first round of the men's doubles alongside his brother Jamie. The star-studded farewell took place earlier this month.
The Scottish player underwent surgery on June 22 to remove a spinal cyst that was compressing his nerves, causing him to lose control and power in his right leg. As a result, he determined that he was not physically prepared for the rigors of singles play at the All England Club.
The Olympic tennis tournament commences on July 27, and Murray, who first competed in the Olympics in Beijing 2008, will participate in both singles and doubles in his fifth and final Olympic appearance.
Despite undergoing hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019, which revived his career, Murray has found it challenging to advance to the later rounds of major tournaments. Additionally, he suffered an ankle injury earlier this season.
