CLARE BALDING was reduced to tears after Andy Murray brought his tennis career to a close.
Murray, 37, called time on his playing career on Thursday night after exiting the Men’s Olympic Doubles tennis alongside Dan Evans.
Murray had announced his intention to retire after the Paris games last month, and a straight sets loss to Team USA duo Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul pulled the curtain on his career.
With the match broadcast live on the BBC, host Clare Balding was left in floods of tears after the event came to a close.
Balding was thanking Murray for the years of service he has given to British tennis and Team GB, when she began to choke up.
The broadcasting legend was consoled by colleague and BBC pundit Rebecca Adlington, who was alongside her inside the aquatics centre in Paris.
Speaking on Murray’s splendid career, Balding said: “My word, hasn’t he shown us everything he is about in his three matches here.
“It is never over until it’s over. And now sadly, in terms of his professional playing career that is it, it is over.
“And all we can say is thank you, thank you.”
Before she could get any more words out she turned to her punditry team and said “you better say something”, urging them to take over the broadcast as the emotions took over her.
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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.
Balding wasn’t the only emotional one either with Murray and doubles partner Evans both brought to tears on the court.
Murray looked to be holding in the tears until the crowd in Paris began chanting his name despite the loss.
At that point the Scot cracked his facade and let the emotion out on the clay – a touching moment for one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes.
Speaking after the heartbreak of losing out on a fairytale ending, Murray’s partner Evans said: “It was disappointing for him. We didn’t start well and it snowballed from there.
“Super emotional wasn’t it? I’m super proud of what we did but it is bittersweet.
“It would have been nice to get through that match. It wasn’t to be. It is a career to be proud of.
“He’s going to be missed for British tennis, and the world game. It’s a figurehead who has gone.
“I cannot imagine he will leave the sport. I hope he stays.”
Murray previously claimed medal glory three times at the Olympics.
The first came at home in London 2012, when he won gold in the men’s singles event and scooped a silver in mixed doubles alongside Laura Robson.
He then successfully defended his title at the Rio Games four years later, making him the first male player to win two Olympic singles titles.
He retires as a two-time Wimbledon champion and a one-time US Open winner.
