Andy Murray could give himself the ultimate send-off by teaming up with Emma Raducanu (Image: GETTY)
Andy Murray could team up with Emma Raducanu to give himself the perfect send-off.
Andy Murray could retire from tennis in the perfect way by teaming up with Emma Raducanu, just as Roger Federer did with Rafael Nadal two years ago. The writing appears to be on the wall for Murray, who questioned his own future after crashing out of the Australian Open in the first round earlier this month.
Injuries have ravaged the latter part of Murray’s career and he has struggled to fire on all cylinders when fit enough to play at the biggest events. His latest setback at the Australian Open prompted questions over just how long he will continue in the sport, with the 36-year-old not getting any younger.
Retirement does not seem to be too far away for Murray, who is set to return to the court at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha next month. It remains to be seen when he will eventually decide to call it a day, but he could give himself the perfect send-off by teaming up with Raducanu at this summer’s Olympic Games.
Andy Murray previously won Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, with the achievements marking two of the biggest highlights of his long and storied career. He could be tempted to grace the competition for the final time in Paris, while Raducanu may also be in action if she manages to stay injury-free between now and then.
The two players could decide to team up for the mixed doubles event, in which they would certainly be among the highest-profile pairings. Such a move would bring back memories of Federer’s last dance at the Laver Cup in 2022, when he joined forces with Nadal to mark his last professional tournament appearance.
Andy Murray has made no secret of his admiration for Raducanu, revealing earlier this year that he always tries to watch her matches whenever she is playing. Raducanu is also a huge fan of Murray and expressed her gratitude for his advice following her rapid rise to fame in the wake of her US Open triumph three years ago.
“Andy Murray is so good to talk to because he’s been through pretty much what I’ve been going through,” said Raducanu after being made an MBE by King Charles in 2022. “I have always looked up to him and watched him since winning his first Wimbledon and the Olympics.”
Tennis fans across the globe would undoubtedly relish seeing Murray and Raducanu on the same side of the court at the Olympics later this year. However, only time will tell if such a move will eventually come about, with Murray still mulling over what the future holds for him as things stand.
