Andy Murray has been contemplating retirement this year (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Andy Murray has suggested that his retirement is nearing and, with the Olympics in Paris round the corner this summer, the Grand Slam winner wants to be picked for the right reasons
Andy Murray doesn’t want any nostalgic Olympics selection this summer and will only compete at the Games if he feels he can win a medal.
The three-time Grand Slam winner has endured a difficult start to 2024 amid continued talk of his retirement. He was ousted in the first round of the Australian Open and has struggled to make any major inroads in the tournaments he’s entered so far.
Andy Murray’s reputation can often go before him but the Scot, who has undergone surgery to prolong his career, has conceded that he doesn’t see himself playing much beyond the summer as he prepares to celebrate his 37th birthday come May.
A last hurrah at the Olympics in Paris this summer would have an element of sentiment to it, but Murray would much rather another of his compatriots fly the flag for Great Britain as he’s keen for someone else to experience the memories he’s been able to make.
He told The Times: “I would love the chance to play in another Olympics but also genuinely only if I felt like there was a chance of winning a medal. I’m also very conscious as well that because of how amazing my experiences at the Olympics have been, I would want to be there by right and not just take one of the other guys’ spots because it is a brilliant opportunity.
“We have top doubles players [Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are ranked inside the world’s top 10] and also Jack [Draper], Cam [Norrie] and Evo [Dan Evans] in singles as well. I don’t want to be in a position where I’m getting selected to play there just because it might be the last tournament that I play. That’s why there is a bit of uncertainty about the summer, because I’m not sure what will happen with that.”
Murray has an impressive history in the Olympics. Back in 2012, whilst on home soil, the Scot claimed gold at Wimbledon. He beat Roger Federer, who had seen him off in the final at SW19 just months earlier. Then, in 2016, Murray beat Juan Martin Del Potro in a four-set epic.
This summer in Paris the tennis will be held at Roland Garros, where the French Open is played annually. The clay courts present their own challenge with several players on the circuit excelling on the surface. Murray has made just one French Open final – back in 2016.
The Scot confessed, as he continues to get asked about when he’ll call time on his career, that the constant questioning is becoming boring. He said: “Just because you’ve lost, it’s like, OK, well, when are you going to stop playing? It’s been happening since Wimbledon last year in most weeks. It’s something that I’ve had to talk about and entertain. Obviously at some stage the end will come. It’s not an easy decision to know exactly when that will be or when it should be.”
