Andy Murray Fans Thread

[rafanoy1992]

BREAKING NEWS:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-6579745/Andy-Murray-retire-year.html

Andy Murray is set to retire at Wimbledon and possibly after the Australian Open tournament! He said that the pain in his hip is still bothering him to the point he feels pain while put on his socks! Man...this is sad to hear! He might not be as accomplished as the Holy Trinity (Fed/Nadal/Nole) but he stood there and faced all of them. It is truly the start of the end of an era!

 

[britbox]

Wow, that's sad news. Deserves it's own thread for sure.

 

[Moxie]

Oh, no! That is so sad.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I did not expect this at all. It is sad he is in that much pain. Constant pain sucks the life out of you, that I know but I have always thought about him as "He is young, he can come back"...Except he is 32. Time flies. All the best to him.

 

[DarthFed]

Very sad to hear that. Hopefully it gets better and maybe he reconsiders? Shocking news.

 

[Carol]

Very sad!

 

[Moxie]

Very sad!

Watching that is heartbreaking.

 

[Moxie]

Very sad to hear that. Hopefully it gets better and maybe he reconsiders? Shocking news.

It really doesn't sound like it's going to get better. He doesn't say "hip replacement," but it sounds like that. And he has said he won't just play doubles. I know a lot of people don't love Murray, but this is rather tragic.

 

[El Dude]

It is very sad, but not surprising. I have been quite skeptical of his ability to come back - hip injuries are no joke. I predicted he'd never win another big title, and sadly it seems I'll be right. Poor Andy, but he's had a great career.

 

[Moxie]

It is very sad, but not surprising. I have been quite skeptical of his ability to come back - hip injuries are no joke. I predicted he'd never win another big title, and sadly it seems I'll be right. Poor Andy, but he's had a great career.

Britbox told us a while ago that hip injuries are hard to come back from. Hewitt, Kuerten. And you did predict no more big titles. But this feels so crushing. Many players struggle with injuries, then bounce back. It's part of sport. It's tough to see a very great champion have to drop the curtain so definitively.

 

[britbox]

That interview is pretty painful. Got to feel for Andy Murray. Clearly not a snap decision - he's consulted doctors, other players, given it a go for 20 months and isn't happy going out there to be a shadow of his former self... Understandable. He's also in a lot of pain.

I know we banter a lot about players and he isn't everybody's favourite but he's a great player and it's always a shame when it comes to the end of the road. I hope he manages a swansong at Wimbledon, even if he doesn't play another between the AO and then. They would surely grant him a wildcard.

 

[El Dude]

Britbox told us a while ago that hip injuries are hard to come back from. Hewitt, Kuerten. And you did predict no more big titles. But this feels so crushing. Many players struggle with injuries, then bounce back. It's part of sport. It's tough to see a very great champion have to drop the curtain so definitively.

I think what is surprising is how quickly actual retirement came upon us. I thought he'd never reach his elite form again, but I did think he'd fight through 2019-20, maybe 2021, sort of a "latter-day Hewitt" few years. But I didn't realize just how much pain he's in.

 

[Moxie]

That interview is pretty painful. Got to feel for Andy Murray. Clearly not a snap decision - he's consulted doctors, other players, given it a go for 20 months and isn't happy going out there to be a shadow of his former self... Understandable. He's also in a lot of pain.

I know we banter a lot about players and he isn't everybody's favourite but he's a great player and it's always a shame when it comes to the end of the road. I hope he manages a swansong at Wimbledon, even if he doesn't play another between the AO and then. They would surely grant him a wildcard.

He sounds like he'll be limping towards Wimbledon. He'll likely play no more than he has to, and then Wimbledon will give him a send-off, as they should. RG as well, as he was a finalist there, if he goes for it. Crikey, this feels like an obituary.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Yep, it is sad news.

Two Wimbledons, One USOpen, Two Olympic Gold Medals in Singles (I guess another in mixed also), an year end #1 finish and a Davis Cup Win - That is certainly a lot of achievements, especially considering his entire period he had to deal with the Big Three.

Hope, he is able to lead a good life at least without pain, even if he cannot play competitive tennis.

 

[El Dude]

He's been the 4th best player in the era of the three GOATs of the Open Era - that's quite an honor. Truly the "best of the rest."

 

[Moxie]

He's been the 4th best player in the era of the three GOATs of the Open Era - that's quite an honor. Truly the "best of the rest."

As a man who likes to categorize, Dude, you have to say that Murray rather had his own. He was Big 4 for a long time, and deserved it. But when he got pushed out by the Big 3, there was Big 3, Murray, then the next level down. And Stan, who also has 3 Majors, I don't think will surpass him.

 

[El Dude]

As a man who likes to categorize, Dude, you have to say that Murray rather had his own. He was Big 4 for a long time, and deserved it. But when he got pushed out by the Big 3, there was Big 3, Murray, then the next level down. And Stan, who also has 3 Majors, I don't think will surpass him.

Yes, I think so. Stan, while a more viciously dangerous player at his very best than Andy, never had the consistency that Andy had. If you look at Andy's career at Slams and big tournaments, he was always there - always going deep in Slams. Consider that for ten years in a row, 2008-17, Andy reached the QF or deeper in at least two Slams per year; in most of those ten years (six to be exact) it was three or more.

Historically speaking, I think Andy will come to be seen as at the head of the pack that includes Courier, Kuerten, and Ashe; I think he was greater than all three. There's an argument that could be made that he's as good or greater than Wilander, but people will never look past the big Slam title gap, even though Andy was greater in just about every other way.

Andy's true level can perhaps best be summarized by his rankings in terms of Slam finals: only eight players (Roger, Rafa, Novak, Sampras, Agassi, Connors, Lendl, Borg) were in more Slam finals, and he's tied with McEnroe, Wilander and Edberg with 11, and just ahead of Becker's 10. That's some good company.

 

[Moxie]

Yes, I think so. Stan, while a more viciously dangerous player at his very best than Andy, never had the consistency that Andy had. If you look at Andy's career at Slams and big tournaments, he was always there - always going deep in Slams. Consider that for ten years in a row, 2008-17, Andy reached the QF or deeper in at least two Slams per year; in most of those ten years (six to be exact) it was three or more.

Historically speaking, I think Andy will come to be seen as at the head of the pack that includes Courier, Kuerten, and Ashe; I think he was greater than all three. There's an argument that could be made that he's as good or greater than Wilander, but people will never look past the big Slam title gap, even though Andy was greater in just about every other way.

Andy's true level can perhaps best be summarized by his rankings in terms of Slam finals: only eight players (Roger, Rafa, Novak, Sampras, Agassi, Connors, Lendl, Borg) were in more Slam finals, and he's tied with McEnroe, Wilander and Edberg with 11, and just ahead of Becker's 10. That's some good company.

Good job placing him in historic context, in terms of Majors and finals, but I do think that he deserves to be mentioned in terms of Big 4 in this era. He hung with the big boys like no other, in his own era. I think there were years when it was the 4 of them at top 4 in the rankings. And that one poetic year when each won the Major that they should have: 2012. And not to forget to mention that he finally got to #1. Only the Big 4 have done that since, what?...2003?

 

[El Dude]

Good job placing him in historic context, in terms of Majors and finals, but I do think that he deserves to be mentioned in terms of Big 4 in this era. He hung with the big boys like no other, in his own era. I think there were years when it was the 4 of them at top 4 in the rankings. And that one poetic year when each won the Major that they should have: 2012. And not to forget to mention that he finally got to #1. Only the Big 4 have done that since, what?...2003?

I agree, but I've often said he's both "best of the rest" and "worst of the best." It really depends on where you want to slice the cake. As you say, he's in his own category - below the Bigger Three but above everyone else, including Stan.

2012 is one of my favorite tennis years, as a tennis fan first (2017 would be my favorite "Roger year," at least since 2007 when I didn't follow the sport very closely).

But yeah, last player to be #1 other than the Big Four was Andy Roddick in early 2004. That's 780 straight weeks of the Big Four at #1! Andy owns 41 of then, which is something to be proud of.

 

[herios]

Sad to hear about this news. I thought he could cone back as a top 20 or 30 for a few more years, Howeverwer it was not meant to be.
He may retire sooner than we thought, but at 31-32 , historically is not unusual, rather the average age.
Only recently has become a habit to stay active until the mid thirties.