Andy Murray's Legacy at Wimbledon and British Tennis

WIMBLEDON, England — Andy Murray briefly left the court moments after his last-ever men's doubles match on Thursday. When he returned, he gave his brother, Jamie, a long, warm hug. And the crowd, already on its feet, erupted, moved by the brothers' emotion and cheering for a man who touched a nation.

It was the only time the brothers ever played doubles together at the All England Club — the pair were defeated by Rinky Hijikata and John Peers. In the coming days, Murray, 37, will play his last ever match at Wimbledon as a professional. After retiring from singles because he was not ready following recent back surgery, Murray has opted to play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu, in addition to doubles with Jamie.

His last hurrah will come later this month at the Paris Olympics, but the Scot’s Wimbledon career is almost over. He leaves a void to be filled, if that is even possible. He also leaves behind a country that, thanks to him, thinks differently about tennis.

On Thursday, before a career montage aired with Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal paying their respects, Murray tried to keep it together. It wasn’t easy when he spotted former BBC presenter Sue Barker, who came out of retirement to interview him on court.

You made us dream.
You made us believe.
You made us cry.
And you made us proud. photo.twitter.com/yNsnkEsEhc

Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2024

“It was obviously very special,” Murray said of playing with Jamie. “We've never had the chance to do it before. It was a bit of a race against time to get here. Physically it wasn't easy, but I'm glad we got to do it together for once.”

After making his debut in 2005 as a lanky 18-year-old, Murray made history in 2013 when he became the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years. He repeated the feat three years later. In total he has won 46 titles, including three Grand Slams – his first at the 2012 US Open. He won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, was ranked world number one for 41 weeks and helped Great Britain win the Davis Cup in 2015.

With his titles alone, secured in arguably the greatest era of men’s tennis with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer dominating like no trio before them, Murray has cemented his place in history. But whether he knows it or not, he will leave tennis with a change in the mentality of a nation. Britain had some good players before Murray, but despite Tim Henman reaching four Wimbledon semi-finals, no one really thought he could win.

In a country hungry for tennis success, Murray made the impossible possible. And he changed the perception of tennis in Britain, where it was seen as a sport for elites.

Murray wore his heart on his sleeve and took people along for the ride. Fans experienced his games as if they were on the field themselves. There was always drama, it was never an easy ride and often Murray would shout and frown on the field. But over time the public learned how hard he worked, how he was always willing to put his body through the wringer, to go the extra mile in search of that one percent that could make all the difference.

Not a dry eye on Centre Court.

They love you, @Andy Murray photo.twitter.com/dgas9hPEHx

Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2024

It’s still relatively expensive to play tennis in the UK. There’s still a lot of work to be done to make it more accessible, and participation has stagnated in recent years. But young people in Britain want to play tennis because Andy Murray made it cool. They saw what he did, what he said, how he lived his life — and they didn’t just want to emulate him, they believed they could. Not many people, in any sport, can say that.

“I wouldn't be here without Andy,” said British No. 1 Jack Draper after his first-round win. “He's an incredible guy off the court, so funny, so genuine, one of a kind and what a competitor, what a champion. Thank you so much.”

2021 US Open champion Raducanu echoed those thoughts. “When I think about Wimbledon, I think about Andy,” she said. “Growing up, that was the generation, the hero that I looked up to.”

The effusive words from his peers in recent days show the respect Murray enjoys. “His will to push and see how far he can go, even with a hip replacement, is something that is just inspiring but also a great example for a lot of athletes, younger athletes who start to complain about this and that,” 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic said on Tuesday. “He's made an incredible impact on and off the court.”

Grigor Dimitrov said Murray should be considered one of the best players in history. “How many tournaments has he won, 46? Three Grand Slams, the Olympics in a row,” Dimitrov said. “I always say that statistics don't really matter, but it's a lot, and what he's been able to do to come back with the surgeries and stuff, that's a career.”

Coco Gauff praised his fighting spirit and highlighted his contribution to the promotion of women's football.

“I just saw a video on TikTok that's always going around about [Murray] “Reporters correct you on statistics,” she said. “It's something you see a lot as a female player, where people think, 'He's the first player to do this.' It's like, well, Serena and Venus did it, some other player did it ages ago. [Or] “the first American” … I did it, just did it. I appreciate him. Not only him, but his mother for everything they've done for equality in women's sports.”

When Andy Murray reminded everyone that female tennis players exist…#IWD2023 photo.twitter.com/8BOfP61qmq

Eurosport (@eurosport) March 8, 2023

Judy Murray, Andy's mother, was his first coach. She supported him throughout his career and was a coach and leader herself, especially through her programs for young girls.

Despite the injuries of the last few years, Murray has continued to give his all in search of the send-off he wanted, and clearly deserves. He didn’t get it in the singles, his body wasn’t quite there yet, but the way he was announced in the doubles with his brother should leave him in no doubt about how the country feels.

And those who have fallen behind, like Draper, who beat Carlos Alcaraz at Queen's Club to reach a major for the first time, can play without the pressure Murray felt. The barriers to success have been removed. A nation now believes in tennis and thinks like champions. That is his legacy.