Five standout moments from Andy Murray's Wimbledon journey
Murray is expected to play doubles with his brother Jamie in his final appearance at the All England Club before retirement.
By EasternEyeJul 03, 2024
Andy Murray withdrew from the singles at Wimbledon on Tuesday after not recovering from a back operation.
The two-time champion is expected to play doubles with his brother Jamie in his final appearance at the All England Club before retirement.
Here is a look at the five key moments in the Wimbledon career of the former world number one, spanning over two decades.
2005 -- George, the first
Ranked 312 in the world, a young Murray made his Wimbledon debut against Switzerland's George Bastl, who had ended the All England Club career of seven-time champion Pete Sampras three years earlier.
At 18, Murray showed little nerves as he beat his 146th-ranked opponent 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 on Court Two.
"I wasn't really expecting to win -- obviously he's much better than me," said Murray.
Bastl was impressed by Murray's performance.
"You are right to get excited about Murray," he said.
Murray then defeated world number 13 Radek Stepanek before losing in the third round to 2002 runner-up David Nalbandian after being two sets up.
2012 -- Tearful defeat to Federer
Murray was the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin in 1938 but faced six-time champion Roger Federer.
Despite winning the first set, Murray lost 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to the Swiss player.
It was his fourth defeat in four Grand Slam finals, having also lost to Federer in the 2008 US Open and 2010 Australian Open finals and to Novak Djokovic in the 2011 Australian Open final.
"I'm getting closer," said Murray. "I'd say that's the best I've played in a Grand Slam final."
2013 -- First Wimbledon title
Murray made history as the first British man since Fred Perry 77 years earlier to win the Wimbledon singles title.
He defeated Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, sealing victory on a fourth match point at the end of a tense 12-minute game.
Murray earned £1.6 million for his victory, compared to Perry's £10 reward for his 1936 win.
"Roger is probably the greatest player ever, Novak is one of the mentally strongest ever. I never had experience on my side. To beat him was so tough, it was such a tough match," said Murray.
2016 -- Second Wimbledon crown
Murray defeated Canada's Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2), winning his third Grand Slam title and his first since the 2012 US Open.
It was his 11th Slam final but the first one without Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.
Murray faced only two break points in the final and saved them both.
"This is the most important tournament for me every year," said Murray.
"I've had some great moments here, but also some tough losses. The win feels extra special because of the tough losses."
2024 -- End of the road
Murray, now ranked 113, had hoped to play singles at Wimbledon one last time before retiring at the Paris Olympics.
He did not recover fully from an operation to remove a spinal cyst, which had caused him to lose feeling in his right leg.
His singles career at the All England Club included two titles, a win-loss record of 61-13, and nearly £7.8 million in prize money.
"As you can imagine, Andy is extremely disappointed but has confirmed that he will be playing in the doubles with Jamie and looks forward to competing at Wimbledon for the last time," said his management team.
Perry's onstage quip about "Englishmen" felt like a deliberate signal.
Those yacht photos are, frankly, undeniable.
It started with a Montreal dinner most people missed.
Both are out of long-term relationships.
Well, she’s as good as confirmed it, hasn’t she? Katy Perry just tossed a verbal grenade into her London concert, and the pieces all point to Justin Trudeau. That line about Englishmen? You do not say that by accident. It lands just days after those, let's face it, pretty steamy pictures of them surfaced on her boat. This Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau thing is suddenly feeling very real, shifting from rumours to a full-blown celebrity romance.
Katy Perry’s stage moment sparks worldwide fan theories about a secret romance Getty Images
So what did she actually say?
Mid-show at the O2, looking out at the crowd, she hits them with this: "London, England, you’re like this on a Monday night?... No wonder I fall for Englishmen all the time."
Pause.
Then came the kicker: "...but not anymore." The place erupts. It was too specific, too perfectly timed. And then, almost as if scripted, some fan proposes to her. Her comeback was: "I wish you’d asked me 48 hours ago." What is that, if not a nod to a new, serious someone?
Let’s talk about the yacht. The Daily Mail got those shots and, while grainy, the story they tell is crystal clear. The photos were taken off the coast of Santa Barbara, on her 78-foot Caravelle. He is pulling her in, kissing her cheek. His hand was on her backside in another frame. This follows that low-key Montreal dinner in July that almost flew under the radar.
— (@)
Where does this leave everyone?
Right, let us look at the context. Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom only finalised their split recently, with the co-parenting news coming out in July. Justin Trudeau’s marriage to Sophie Grégoire also ended last year. Both are prominent figures with busy lives who have only just become single. Sources are already saying he has been "persistent," flying to see her on tour breaks. It has the feel of something that is accelerating fast. And Perry, with that London comment, seems ready to let it.
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