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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Kevin Mitchell at Wimbledon

Andy Murray unlikely to walk away from tennis while his fire still burns so brightly

Andy Murray acknowledges the crowd after his five-set defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday
Andy Murray acknowledges the crowd after his five-set defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday. Photograph: Hugo Philpott/UPI/Shutterstock

Is he done? The headlines say, maybe; history and sentiment say, don’t bet on it. From this keyboard, however, It is inconceivable that Andy Murray will walk away from tennis while there is strength in his 36-year-old legs, power in his whirring racket and the odd tear in his reddened eyes.

If there is a single compelling argument for the best player these islands have produced since Fred Perry to continue into the gloaming of his illustrious career it surely lies in Murray’s almost perverse compulsion to defy all odds, predictions and whispers in tournament watering holes. He has been doing it at least since 2019, when his body started to fall apart. And, just as important, he is probably dreading the day when it is all over.

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