Andy Murray’s final Wimbledon appearance has come to an end following Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from the mixed doubles due to wrist stiffness.
The pair were set to begin their campaign on Saturday evening, but Raducanu has pulled out, citing ‘some stiffness in her right wrist’. This marks the end of Murray’s last Wimbledon run, as he was unable to compete in singles and lost in the first round of men’s doubles with his brother Jamie.
The 21-year-old Raducanu had previously expressed her lifelong dream of playing alongside Murray in his final championships at SW19. However, she’s chosen to focus on her singles campaign. “Sadly, I woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist this morning, so I’ve had to make the tough call to withdraw from the mixed doubles.
“I’m gutted as I was really keen to play with Andy, but I need to look after myself.”
Due to tournament rules, Murray can’t name a new partner at such short notice, meaning both players must bow out of the competition. Raducanu has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since her incredible US Open victory and looks a real contender.
Murray and Raducanu were scheduled to play around 5pm on Court One, a time slot Raducanu had described as ‘not ideal’. She’s set to play her fourth-round match on Sunday afternoon against qualifier Lulu Sun.
Fortunately for Wimbledon officials, Murray received a heartfelt tribute on Centre Court on Thursday night after his straight-set loss with his brother. The 37-year-old watched a video on the big screen featuring modern tennis icons paying homage to the three-time Grand Slam champion.
The BBC also brought back beloved presenter Sue Barker for the ceremony, who had been at the forefront of both his Wimbledon triumphs. “It’s tough because I want to keep playing, but I can’t,” Murray said on court.
“Physically, it’s too demanding now. I wish I could play forever. I love the sport.”
Murray had fought hard to feature in his final Wimbledon after undergoing surgery on a spinal cyst just days before the tournament began. He had to withdraw from the singles competition to give himself a chance to play alongside Jamie.
“It was really special to play with Jamie, we’ve never had the opportunity before,” Murray added. “It was a race against time to get here and physically it wasn’t easy, but I’m glad we managed to do it once together.”
Murray hinted at possibly going into coaching after retiring, but regardless, he’ll end his career as one of Britain’s greatest sportspeople. After a heartbreaking loss in the 2012 Wimbledon final, the Dunblane-born star went on to win Olympic gold at London 2012.
In 2013, Murray etched his name into sporting legend by defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets to become the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years. He repeated this feat three years later before injuries began to take their toll in the latter stages of his illustrious career.
Murray has been named in Team GB’s squad for Paris 2024, which could now serve as his final event before hanging up his racket.
