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1 month ago
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Sir Andy Murray has revealed how he will cope with his upcoming retirement, with the 'pretty relentless' challenge of his four young kids set to replace the busy tennis schedule.
The Scot announced on Tuesday that he was calling time on a heavily successful career as he arrived in Paris ahead of his fifth Olympic Games.
Alongside a picture of himself on the podium in Rio, Brazil, in 2016 he wrote: 'Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament @Olympics.
'Competing for Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I'm extremely proud to get to do it one final time.'
Now the tennis great has opened up on how he plans to fill the void the sport will leave, expressing a desire to spend more time with his family.
Sir Andy Murray pictured today talking about his plans after his retirement from tennis
The tennis great has opened up on how he plans to fill the void the sport will leave, expressing a desire to spend more time with his family
Sir Andy pictured with his gold medal after beating Switzerland's Roger Federer in the final at Wimbledon, London, in 2012
The Scot pictured training at Roland Garros yesterday ahead of the Paris Olympics this summer
Asked about the upcoming transition away from a 'relentless' tennis calendar, Sir Andy told the BBC:
'I've got 4 young kids - that's pretty relentless as well.
'I'm looking forward to being at home for a period of time and being around my family and going away on holiday with them and getting my mind ready for the next stage of my career.'
The two-time Wimbledon champion also teased 'something new' in his post-tennis life.
'It's obviously going to be different and it will take me some time to adjust,' he said. 'I'm fully aware of that.'
'But I think the fact that I'm ready now...I think that's going to help because even a few months ago I maybe wasn't and was unsure about it and worried about what that was going to look like.
'But yeah I'm ready for something new now - what that new is I'm not 100 per cent sure yet but I'm looking forward to that.'
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sir Andy became the first man in history to retain his singles gold medal.
Sir Andy became the first player to successfully defend an Olympics singles title in Rio in 2016
He became Britain's first men's champion since Fred Perry to lift the trophy at Wimbledon in July 2013 (pictured) after beating Novak Djokovic
Sir Andy's successful career has seen him win major tournaments (pictured: Sir Andy celebrating after beating David Goffin to win the Davis Cup Final in 2015)
Sir Andy, pictured with mother Jude, wife Kim, and father Will (L-R), after being given his OBE in 2013
This time around, he forms a strong Team GB roster with Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Cam Norrie, who will all be hoping for a successful campaign which starts this Saturday.
Sir Andy won gold in London 2012 beating Roger Federer in the final and successfully defended his title four years later defeating Juan Martin del Potro.
The 37-year-old, who in 2013 ended a 77-year wait for a British men's singles champion at Wimbledon and won the trophy again in 2016, had previously said that he was unlikely to continue his career beyond this year.
The Scots hero received a star-studded, emotional farewell earlier this month at Wimbledon, the venue where he won two of his three major titles, following a first-round doubles defeat partnering his brother Jamie.
Sir Andy, who had surgery on June 22 to remove a spinal cyst which was compressing his nerves and made him lose control and power in his right leg, decided he was not fit enough for the demands of singles competition at the All England Club.
His hopes of a final hurrah partnering fellow former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in mixed doubles at Wimbledon were dashed when she withdrew due to a wrist issue.
The tennis competition at the Olympics begins on July 27 and Sir Andy, who made his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, will play in both singles and doubles alongside Dan Evans in his fifth and final Games.
He also has a mixed doubles silver from the London Games, where he partnered Laura Robson.
The former world number one resurrected his career after having hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019 but has struggled to make the latter stages of leading tournaments since and endured an ankle injury earlier this season in Miami.
'I'm ready to finish playing,' Sir Andy had said at Wimbledon. 'I don't want that to be the case. I would love to play forever.
'This year's been tough with the ankle, then obviously the back surgery, the hip. I'm ready to finish because I can't play to the level I would want to anymore.
'I know that it's time now. I'm ready for that.'
New pictures show the tennis legend, 37, hitting some balls on the court at Rolland Garros, which hosts the French Open each year
Sir Andy pictured with Evans as the two appear to be talking tactics ahead of the tournament
He underwent surgery to remove a spinal cyst following his withdrawal at Queen's on June 19 (pictured)
Sir Andy bade an emotional farewell to Wimbledon's Centre Court earlier this summer (pictured)
First Minister John Swinney was quick to heap praise on Sir Andu, who was born in Glasgow and grew up in Dunblane, Stirling, following his announcement.
In a post on X, Mr Swinney thanked the 37-year-old for 'an outstanding and inspiring career which has made a profound impact on so many'.
Sir Andy's mother, Judy, also commented in a post on X: '5th Olympics. Final tournament'.
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