Scotsman Andy Murray is the biggest thing to come out of British tennis in decades. A two-time winner of Wimbledon (in 2013 and 2016), he’s the first British male to win a singles title there since Fred Perry in 1936 and the first British player to win a singles title there since Virginia Wade in 1977. Murray also won the US Open in 2012.
Along with sporting icons Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, Murray has been considered one of men’s tennis’ “big four” for over a decade. He’s expected to appear as a member of Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games before retiring from the sport for good.
That means Wimbledon 2024 is the last time he’ll appear at the iconic Grand Slam tournament in front of his adoring home crowd. It would, therefore, be nice if he could perform well at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to give himself and his devoted fans the send-off they deserve. He even received a personal good luck message from Kate Middleton on the royal family’s Instagram account. But how did Murray fare at his final Wimbledon with three opportunities to do something special — the men’s singles, the men’s doubles, and the mixed doubles?
How did Andy Murray’s Wimbledon 2024 go?
Unfortunately for Andy Murray — whose career has been plagued by injuries in recent years — and his hopeful British fans, Wimbledon 2024 couldn’t have gone any worse.
Murray was drawn against 23-year-old Czech player Tomáš Macháč in the first round of the men’s singles competition. Macháč had never progressed past the first round of Wimbledon, and Murray would have fancied his chances of victory. However, on the day he was due to play, July 3, Murray was forced to pull out due to the lasting effects of an operation to remove a cyst from his spine on June 22. He was replaced by lucky loser David Goffin, who lost against Macháč over five sets.
The former world number one’s next opportunity to perform at his final Wimbledon came in the men’s doubles tournament. Murray accepted a wildcard spot to team up with his older brother, Jamie, in the competition, which would put less strain on his body. The Murrays were drawn against Australian pairing Rinky Hijikata and John Peers on July 4. Sadly, they lost in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. Following the match, Murray was honored on Centre Court in highly emotional scenes.
But he would have one more chance to shine in his final year at Wimbledon, as fellow Brit Emma Raducanu agreed to team up with him in the mixed doubles tournament. Or would he? On teaming with Murray, Raducanu told the BBC after her second-round victory over Elise Mertens in the women’s singles competition, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young girl.” Sadly, as per the BBC, on July 6, Raducanu had to pull out of their planned appearance in the mixed doubles as she had some stiffness in her right wrist. She had endured double wrist surgery in 2023. It couldn’t be helped, but it meant Murray’s Wimbledon career ended prematurely and disappointingly.
Murray will continue to be talked about during Wimbledon 2024 and will surely be given another opportunity to say goodbye to the crowd there. For now, here’s hoping his competitive tennis career comes to a more successful end at the Olympic Games. We wish him all the best.