Andy Murray clicks into warrior mode as he fights to finish his career with Olympic gold
He and British teammate Dan Evans had once again stared down the barrel of defeat and somehow escaped with yet another logic-defying win.
After respectfully consoling their opponents, the pair unleashed a wave of energy onto Court Suzanne Lenglen, embracing each other by the net before Murray sunk to his seat, seemingly overcome by the occasion.
The celebrations on Tuesday were warranted. After saving five match points in the pair’s first round win on Sunday, they survived two more to beat Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen to reach the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles tournament.
Before play got underway in Paris, Murray had announced the Games would be his final tournament.
On seven occasions already, the 37-year-old has been one point away from a career-ending defeat. In every moment, though, he and Evans have found a way to win – a trademark of Murray’s long and storied career.
Tennis is a sport that is dominated by the grand slams. Players are often judged by how many major titles they have won, not by the number of gold medals around their necks.
But, for Murray, the Olympic Games have always held a special place in his heart.
Back in 2012, just weeks after a heartbreaking defeat in the Wimbledon final, Murray won gold in the men’s singles tournament at the London Games. He also added a silver medal in the mixed doubles alongside teammate Laura Robson.
Olympic love affair
Those wins at the London Games triggered a wave of success for Murray, who went on to cement himself as one of the best tennis players in the sport’s golden era.
He won his first grand slam later in 2012 at the US Open, before going on to become the first British man in 77 years to win a Wimbledon title in 2013.
He then became world No. 1 in 2016, a year where he also won Wimbledon for second time. It was also the year he defended his Olympic title at the Rio Games, where he was named Team GB’s flag bearer.
While rivals such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic may have won more grand slams, Murray has more Olympic success than any of them.
Despite everything that followed, he still looks back to those halcyon days in 2012 as a moment when he stepped up a level: a before-and-after tournament that set him on a path to stardom.
“Some of the best weeks of my life, or my tennis career, are certainly in London playing a home Olympics,” he told Eurosport before action got underway in Paris.
“I’ll never get that opportunity again.”
Given his affinity with the Games, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Murray held out to finish his career at the Olympics.
In truth, he could have walked away from the sport on multiple occasions in recent years after injuries robbed him of his competitiveness at the top level.
In Paris, he now walks onto court with somewhat of a limp, his gait is a little shorter than before. His serve has lost some of its venom and he felt unable to compete in both the doubles and singles draws.
But while his physicality has somewhat diminished, his passion and will to win haven’t suffered one bit.
In a video posted by the ATP Tour last month, Murray’s rivals were asked to describe the Scot in three words.
“Grit,” “determination” and “fighter” were some of the answers that kept being repeated, all attributes he has shown at this year’s Games.
Murray’s quality has now been limited to flashes of brilliance and he has leaned on teammate Evans to drag him through some difficult moments in the first two matches in Paris.
The duo have known each other for years, but their experience playing together is limited and they were beaten in the first round of this year’s French Open.
And yet, against all the odds, they have won two matches this week and are now just three wins away from an unlikely gold medal.
“It’s obviously unbelievably emotional,” Murray said after reaching the quarterfinals.
“I mean, you’re obviously unbelievably happy and then, for whatever reason, I don’t know why it happens, you get happy tears. I don’t know why that’s the case.
“But yeah, it was really emotional at the end of the match. Extremely happy and excited that we managed to get through another amazing finish. It takes a lot out of you that sort of stuff.”
Murray and Evans play Americans Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz on Thursday for a place in the semifinals as the tennis great’s love affair with the Olympics continues.
And, if this week’s action underlines one thing, it’s that anything can happen once Murray steps onto a tennis court.
After sharing a heartfelt moment with their opponents, Murray and Evans shifted their focus to the next match, drawing energy from their victory. Despite their physical limitations, they continue to exhibit the same grit and determination, reminiscent of their successful tennis careers.
This Olympic tournament has provided a unique opportunity for Murray to showcase his love for the sport, proving that tennis, being a sport he cherishes, still holds a special place in his heart.
