ANDY MURRAY was in tears after his remarkable career ended in defeat and a fitting tribute from the Paris crowd at the Olympics.
Fans at Roland Garros chanted the British tennis legend’s name following his quarter-final exit in the men’s doubles alongside his equally-emotional partner Dan Evans.
The victorious American pair of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul even declined to celebrate properly, as a mark of respect to the Scot’s epic achievements in the game.
Evans also shed tears after a 6-2 6-4 defeat as he perhaps reflected on his team-mate’s near two decades at the top.
BBC presenter Clare Balding was also overwhelmed – TV viewers seeing two-time Olympic gold-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington consoling the tearful broadcaster.
Whatever his injury issues in recent years, Murray‘s fighting spirit – and corresponding ability to produce dramatic turnarounds – has never dipped.
And the 37-year-old threatened it once more, having survived numerous match points even to reach the last eight at Paris.
Fritz and Paul cruised to a 4-0 lead, with slick, almost flawless tennis on the way to taking the first set 6-2.
But Murray and Evans dug deep, grafting away until suddenly finding some of their best form at 4-1 down in the second set.
Suddenly they were just 5-4 behind but the Americans served out – before responding humbly, taking second fiddle to the departure of Murray from this Olympics and competitive court action anywhere else.
SIR Andy Murray is Great Britain's most successful tennis player of the Open era.
After breaking through in 2005 to reach the Wimbledon third round at 18, the Scot was British No1 by the following year.
In 2008 he reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open, only to fall to Roger Federer in straight sets.
Two more final defeats at the Australian Open to Federer and Novak Djokovic followed in 2010 and 2011 before heartbreak at Wimbledon in 2012.
Despite taking the first set against Federer, he fell 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 in front of a home crowd before breaking into tears on Centre Court.
But a month later on the same court he beat the Swiss legend to earn Team GB a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
And weeks after that he broke his Grand Slam duck at the fifth attempt, beating Djokovic in five sets in the US Open final.
In 2013, following another Australian Open final loss, Murray beat Djokovic in straight sets to become the first British man in 77 years to win the Wimbledon title.
Three more losing Grand Slam finals followed, at the 2015 and 2016 Australian Opens and the 2016 French Open.
But in his third Grand Slam final of 2016, Murray won Wimbledon again with a straight sets victory over Canadian Milos Raonic.
He followed it up with his second Olympic gold medal, beating Juan Martin del Potro in a four-hour epic in the final in Rio de Janeiro.
Later in 2016 Murray became world No1 – the first British man to do so in history.
Over his career Murray reached 11 Grand Slam finals, winning three. He won two Olympic golds and a silver (in the mixed doubles alongside Laura Robson).
He finishes his career with 46 titles and over £50million in earnings, making him the fourth all-time leader in earnings.
His final match was at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he lost in the quarter-final of the men’s doubles at Roland Garros to USA pair Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz.
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He will surely be proud to have at least bowed out with the type of comeback bid, albeit unsuccessful here, that distinguished so many of his matches.
British tennis chiefs the LTA reacted to his loss by posting: “Our Greatest of All Time. Thank you for all you’ve done for the sport we love, @andy_murray.”
Fans also poured out their praise for and memories of Murray .
“I’m not crying, you are,” wrote one, while another said: “Went out with a real fight. It’s been a pleasure Andy.”
Plenty of fans hailed Murray as one of the best competitors ever – one describing him as the “best British sportsman in history”.
Another wrote: “Congrats to Sir Andy Murray on an absolutely legendary career. Brits will always appreciate his incredible performance, and efforts, we will dearly miss watching and supporting him. 2 olympic golds, 3 grand slams, world number 1, he achieved it all. Thanks for everything Andy!”
It’s also this month when British cycling icon Mark Cavendish has bowed out – via the Tour de France.
And that double departure was duly recognised by fans.
This message spoke for many: “Murray and Cavendish – two of the truly greatest of British sportsmen (in every meaning of the word) in my lifetime. Never gave an inch always acknowledged others, played their sports with grace and brilliance. Don’t think I’ll see the like of them again.”
