After the Paris Olympics, Andy Murray is scheduled to retire from professional tennis, but it doesn’t seem like the British player will have a heartfelt send-off.
If Andy Murray’s withdrawal from the Olympics is any indication, it may conclude his historic tennis career without much fanfare.
In an intense women’s singles quarterfinal match at the Olympics, the German lost 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(6) against Qinwen Zheng, marking the end of her great career after she declared her intention to hang up her racket.
Having won the US Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open, Kerber is a grand slam icon who ended her career on a competitive high by choosing to represent her country one last time.
Tennis legends typically get a spotlight time to say goodbye to supporters before their final match; some events even release emotional hoorahs or memorial videos.
Kerber received no official farewell, but she accepted her Olympic bow with dignity, thanking the “great crowd” that made her yearning for an Olympic exit heartbreakingly fitting.
“It was a great crowd, you know,” she said. “And I simply relished it. I believe that this is the reason you keep returning to these feelings. And I’m overjoyed that I experienced that today.”
But if Kerber’s exit is any guide, Olympic organizers have already hinted that Murray won’t be given the same send-off as he did for his Wimbledon final earlier this month.
Murray was sobbing as Centre Court bid farewell to British tennis royalty, and BBC icon Sue Barker came to the court after Murray had played with his brother Jamie to compose her own eulogy and play a video message.
But, the 37-year-old, who is competing in doubles with Dan Evans, will not have the chance to do the same for those present at the Olympics.