Andy Murray will finish his career at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he won't play in singles, confirming that his only participation will be in the doubles.
Murray's last singles match will end up being his retirement at the 2024 Cinch Championships against Jordan Thompson. The match itself wasn't a full match because the Brit retired down 1-4 after his back started to limit how he could play.
As unfortunate as that is, it's also very fitting because we're talking about a player whose career has been deeply affected by injuries in very meaningful ways. The Brit's final full match was against Alexei Popyrin, whom he bested in three sets.
We can always look back at that match as the final singles match because it is the final match he played fully. Those few games against Thompson are something he will likely want to forget.
His final career match will be in doubles, similar to Roger Federer's. This is mostly because neither was able to play in the singles, as the Swiss Maestro dealt with a knee problem, and Murray is dealing with a back injury that required surgery not too long ago.
A similar scenario happened at Wimbledon only a few weeks ago. Initially, the 37-year-old was supposed to play in singles and doubles, but eventually, he ended up playing only in the doubles competition.
Now, the official confirmation about his Olympics withdrawal came on Thursday in Paris when he told the media that he decided to withdraw from the singles to focus on the doubles with Daniel Evans. According to Murray, their practices have gone well, and he's hopeful that they could proudly represent Team GB.
"I’ve take the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan. Our practice has been great and we’re playing well together. Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time."
Murray and Evans will have a chance of winning a few matches, even though the Olympic Games are played on clay this year. Their chances would have been better if they had played on a different surface, but either way, it's an exciting pairing that has played well in the past.
Murray will be motivated to give it his all once more as he finishes his career after this event, which he also discussed with the media.
"I wasn’t sure how I would feel a few months ago, to be honest. I was unsure about it. I had a lot of conversations with my family, with my wife. I was unsure about the injury during Queen’s, but I had been struggling with my back through most of the clay-court season after the ankle injury."
"I knew that it was the right time and I’m happy about it now. I didn’t feel that way a few months ago when I [first] thought this is when I was going to stop. I didn’t really want to, whereas now I want to and I know that it’s the right time for me, so I feel good about it."
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