‘Old age is meant to fight and resist as the day draws to a close; Rage, rage against the fading of the light,’ penned Dylan Thomas in 1947. While he certainly wasn’t thinking of Andy Murray’s prolonged farewell in tennis, perhaps he had an inkling.
At Roland Garros on Thursday, Murray stood his ground, refusing to go quietly; yet, after a lengthy ovation that delivered some of the happiest moments of the Paris 2024 Olympics, his drawn-out farewell finally reached its conclusion.
After a series of miraculous escapes worthy of Houdini throughout these Games, Murray and his tenacious doubles partner Dan Evans ultimately fell to the American duo of Taylor Fritz, 26, and Tommy Paul, 27, in the quarter-finals, losing in straight sets on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Over the past five years, the two-time Olympic singles champion and three-time grand slam victor has consistently stared down the end of his career without flinching. In these Games alone, the British pair managed to recover from near elimination, saving five match points under pressure in the first round, and then saving two more in the second round just two days later.
However, here, in a stadium that was gradually filled with the crushed hopes of numerous British fans, they could not orchestrate a third miraculous escape. Murray’s journey did not conclude with the triumph of a fourth Olympic medal for one of Britain’s sporting legends, but with the crowd’s admiration and the gratitude of a nation that relished every poignant moment of his career’s dramatic finale.
Ultimately, it was a decisive defeat played out before a half-filled arena, where vocal British fans immersed themselves in the match, living through every tense moment with their underdog heroes. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation; each point lost elicited audible gasps, while every success sent cheers ringing through the cool air as Saltires and Union Jacks were waved high.
The match began with some hiccups, as the British duo fell behind right from their opening game. When Murray and Evans finally clinched a win on their serve during the first set, there was a collective sigh of relief and familiar chants of “Let’s go GB, let’s go” resounded in the arena. However, they eventually lost the first set 6-2 in just half an hour.
As the second set unfolded, their combined age of 71 – a full 18 years younger than their American counterparts – began to become apparent. The Americans showed little regard for Murray’s swan song; Fritz unleashed a barrage of punishing serves while Paul, who had earlier lost in singles to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, exhibited no mercy with his rapid returns.
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Then, at match point at 5-2, it almost turned around again. A match point saved, with intense rallies swinging between deuce and advantage, before the British pair finally managed to break to 5-3. Fueled by adrenaline, they held serve, but the Americans wouldn’t follow the British game plan. As dusk settled, the crucial break at 5-4 eluded them, and their opponents sealed the match 6-2, 6-4.
Murray now must confront the reality of the “ex” prefix, perhaps his most daunting challenger yet. “I want to play forever,” he shared after a painful early exit from the men’s doubles at Wimbledon. “I love this sport. It’s given me so much. It has taught me invaluable lessons I can carry for life. I don’t want to stop, so it’s tough.”
Now, at last, he must accept that conclusion. Following an emotional embrace with Evans, who gently urged him to return to the center of the court for a final bow, Murray acknowledged the applause from Fritz and Paul and expressed his gratitude for the cheers from the crowd, tears brimming in his eyes. After signing his last autograph, he walked off the court without looking back as the stands gradually emptied.
