Andy Murray: The Rich Legacy of a British Sporting Symbol

Andy Murray arrived on the Grand Slam stage in 2005, a gangly, pale, self-effacing 18-year-old with a DIY game. He mumbled with a thick Scottish brogue, and all he really seemed to have going for him was the endorsement of John McEnroe—one of the first people to recognize the talent lurking in Murray’s angular, lean body.

At Wimbledon, the 37-year-old left the Grand Slam stage, a beloved elder statesman and sporting titan. It marked the conclusion of a dazzling career capped by the remarkable gift he gave his brethren in the UK 11 summers ago, when he became the first British man to win the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament in 77 years.

Murray’s triumph resonated worldwide and, among other things, completely reinvigorated a stale British tennis scene.

Perhaps no player has ever made such a lengthy and distinguished journey from outlier to icon. Nobody ever became a Murray fan because they were smitten by his somewhat herky-jerky, defense-heavy game. Swift as he was, he tended to shuffle and lumber. His style was ragged, a game full of quirks and rough edges. And then there was the perfectionism, and the anger it bred. He frequently heaped scorn on his team in the player-guest box, freaked out on the court howling at an invisible moon.

But those blemishes and behaviors had a way of humanizing Murray, making him, as the marketing swells call, “relatable.” Throughout his career, Murray found ways to blow big leads, putting himself and his pillow-punching, pearl-clutching fans through an emotional wringer. Yet his competitive fire and determination were inextinguishable, withstanding any amount of self-sabotage and emotional torment. Today Murray is a British national treasure, a devoted husband and father. If you choose to write to him in the UK, all you need to write on the envelope is: “Sir Andy Murray.”

Players at Wimbledon all week have been asked about Murray’s legacy. The answers have run a gamut illustrating just how profound an impact Murray has had on his peers, and on the game.

Murray was widely praised—and sometimes mocked—for his support of women’s tennis, and women in general (he broke new ground in 2014 by hiring Amelie Mauresmo as his coach). In one of his more memorable remarks, Murray told The Independent newspaper, “Have I become a feminist? Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have.”

Here’s 20-year old Coco Gauff, born the same year that Murray won the Wimbledon junior title:

“I just saw a video on TikTok which always makes its rounds about correcting reporters about statistics. It’s something that as a female player, you'll see a lot. People will be, like, ‘He’s the first player to do this [or do that].’ But it’s like, well, Serena and Venus did it, or another (woman) player did it ages ago.

“Yeah, I do appreciate him—not only Andy, but also his mother (Judy) for everything they’ve done for equality for women’s sports.”

The inspiration Murray has provided his compatriots is another area of deep appreciation. Harriet Dart, the British No. 2, said she was “amazed” Murray put his time in with the lesser British players at their national training center during the Covid pandemic.

“He was always putting so many hours in,” she said. “For someone who’s had such an amazing career, he just goes about his business so diligently.

He’s always the first person there and the last to leave. But more importantly, I think he’s a really, really kind and nice human being.

Alexander Zverev, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, said, “I think outside of Novak, Rafa, and Roger, over the past 20 years, he’s probably the one who has kind of moved a lot of fans towards tennis. Obviously what he’s done for British tennis generally, as well at Wimbledon, is going to go down in the history books.”

But above all else, Murray is lionized for his dedication to his craft, and his appetite for competition. Novak Djokovic remembers his first meeting with Murray, when they were 12-year olds (they were born just one week apart). He spoke of the “tremendous respect” they developed for each other. It was powerful, yet they were on such equal footing as rivals that it prevented them from becoming close friends. They played at least one final at every Grand Slam stop.

“Not much was separating our careers,” Djokovic said. “We played some incredible matches all over the world.”

But Djokovic reserved his highest praise for the way Murray, despite his assorted injuries and surgeries, just kept returning to the game. That includes Murray’s willingness to dip down to the ATP Challenger Tour during various comeback attempts. The Serbian star said, “Andy’s will to push and see how far he can go, even with an artificial hip, is something that is just inspiring. It also serves as a great example, I think, for a lot of the athletes, younger ones, that start to complain about this and that. So he has left a great mark, on and off the court.”

Although nothing can top Murray’ achievements at Wimbledon (where he also won in 2016), his greatest feat may be one that perhaps cost him a few years of his career: Murray’s furious, late-season charge in 2016, a “death march” that ended only when he snatched the all-important year-end No. 1 ranking out of the hands of Novak Djokovic in the dramatic, final match of the ATP year. He thereby became the first British year-end No. 1 of the Open era.

That was a run the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Pete Sampras’ successful drive in 1998 to finish No. 1 for a record sixth consecutive year. Sampras went 14-4 in his final, late-season push in Europe. Murray made his run via a five-tournament, 25-match winning streak that remains one of the most astonishing, but also unsung, accomplishments in tennis.

But the achievement also tipped over Murray’s career, as the pain in the hip that would need to be replaced became excruciating just weeks after the season ended. Murray was never the same.

Murray withdrew from the men’ singles at Wimbledon a few days ago while still recovering from a minor back surgery. He entered the doubles with his brother Jamie, but the Murrays were beaten in the first round. At the last minute, Murray entered the mixed doubles, partnering one of the youngsters who has helped lift British tennis to further heights, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. But after Raducanu—still in the singles draw—awoke with wrist stiffness, the team withdrew.

About the only person who had little to say about Andy Murray’s legacy was—predictably—Murray himself. After he and Jamie lost in the doubles, Murray was asked how he wanted to be remembered, what made him most “proud.”

“I find them quite difficult questions for me to answer because I don't think it's for me to sort of say, like, how I'd want other people to view me,” Murray replied “There's things in my career that I'm really proud of. . . [But] I was far from perfect.

“I think the thing I did a really good job of during my career was that, regardless of the highs and lows—whether it was winning tournaments, having difficult losses, an operation, a setback—the next day I always came into work with the same dedication, work ethic and passion, as I had the day before.”

Raducanu had a more succinct opinion about the Murray legacy. She said, “I think Wimbledon is Andy Murray and Andy Murray is Wimbledon.”