It was a moment nobody in the tennis world will soon forget. Everything at Wimbledon came to a standstill Thursday evening when Andy Murray was honoured on Centre Court following his men’s doubles loss alongside brother Jamie Murray.
Novak Djokovic, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Lleyton Hewitt and Tim Henman were among the stars who joined the Scot on court to pay homage to the two-time Wimbledon champion. But many more players were glued to television screens around the grounds to hear Murray’s typically witty, emotional and heartfelt remarks.
One of those players was defending men’s doubles champion Neal Skupski. The Briton finished his college career at Louisiana State University in 2012, the year Murray won the gold medal at the London Olympics and then claimed major glory at the US Open.
At the time, Skupski looked up to Murray and followed his rise from a young talent to a national icon. Now they have become friends and play fantasy football with one another.
“It was very emotional. Andy's done so much for the sport, not just in Britain, but all around the world and he's a true champion. He works so hard just to kind of get back onto the court. So many times, his body breaks down, but he'll have surgery. He had surgery 10 days ago on his back and he's already back playing on Centre Court,” Skupksi told ATPTour.com. “That just shows the person that he is. But people don't see the other side of Andy, off the court. He's an unbelievable person. He's very caring, he likes to joke around, he's fun. He is an amazing person.”
Incredible achievements, incredible person ❤️
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What a beautiful celebration of Andy's journey last night 💫@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/4z4cGKujTw
Skupski, who has climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, said that it is tough to see Murray’s career coming to a close, although Thursday’s loss was not his final match.
“But when the time comes, it will be on his terms. It's when he wants to stop. It's just unfortunate that he hasn't been able to play singles here at Wimbledon. That would have been probably the way he had wanted to go out. But he got on court, Centre Court with his brother,” Skupski said. “It was quite emotional watching on the TV. When I was growing up, I was in college, I would see him kind of develop as a young kid into a true champion. He obviously struggled in the early days with fitness issues. But he left no stone unturned on that note. He got a great team around him and built him into a Grand Slam champion, also a two-time gold medalist.”
When Murray was at the peak of his powers, Skupski did not know him too well. But as the 34-year-old worked his way to the ATP Masters 1000 events and the majors, he got to know the Scot better.
“He was one of my idols growing up. When I was developing in college, I was following his path to success, and then his stardom. He was walking around and you were like, 'Hi, Andy'. And then when he said hi back it was like, 'Wow, I just spoke to Andy',” Skupski said. “But then in recent years, I got to know him a lot more, probably in the past six, seven years. He's just like everybody else, he's just normal. He's a great guy. He gives time to anybody.”
The doubles standout then smiled as he thought about the type of person Murray is off the court. Skupski explained how much Andy “loves the banter”.
“Unfortunately he's very good at fantasy football. He tends to beat me, beat everybody at it because, like anything — not just in tennis, but in life — he wants to win. He's a true champion,” Skupski said. “The amount of research he does for fantasy football is incredible. He won't admit that. But that is the reason why he's good at fantasy and also in life, because he leaves no stone unturned.”
Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Mark Petchey, the former No. 80 in the PIF ATP Rankings, coached Murray early in his professional career and has been a big supporter and friend of the Scot’s ever since. Petchey watched Murray’s emotional moment from the members’ section Thursday evening.
“The Scot who soared,” Petchey said. “Andy was as mesmerising as he was tough. It was an irresistible and unique combination. He was different, determined and distinct. He was the best filler of the dead air in tennis there has ever been.
“You couldn’t take your eyes off him whether he was hitting a ball or wasn’t. He wasn’t just the lighthouse of British tennis, he was the era. He never changed. The most authentic of champions. The void he leaves will be vast but the memory of him timeless. He will be imitated but never duplicated. Thank you, Andy.”
Murray is scheduled to play mixed doubles at The Championships with fellow major champion Emma Raducanu.
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