Andy Murray expected to miss playing tennis after putting his racket down for the final time last month but said retirement has been "the complete opposite" to what he anticipated.

Murray, who won three grand slam titles across a glittering 19-year career, saw his time on the court come to an end at Roland-Garros in the Paris Olympics.

The 37-year-old competed alongside Dan Evans in the men's doubles, reaching the quarter-finals of the competition to eventual bronze medallists Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. 

Murray withdrew from Wimbledon ahead of the Games after picking up a back injury against Jordan Thompson at the Queen's Club Championship, the latest of many injury setbacks towards the latter stages of his career.

"Since I've stopped, I feel really free and have got lots of time to do whatever it is I want," Murray told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I can dedicate time to my children and have free time to play golf or go to the gym on my own terms.

"It is really nice and I didn't expect that. I was expecting to find retirement hard and be missing tennis a lot and wanting to get back on the tennis court on tour.

"So far it has been the complete opposite to what I was thinking."

The 37-year-old won his first grand slam in 2012 at the US Open before ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon champion in 2013, winning it again in 2016.

During his career, Murray played 1,001 singles matches in his career, earning his landmark victory against Alexei Popyrin in three sets at Queen's.

After his injury in W14, the Scot vowed that the 2024 Olympic Games would be where his career ended, a competition he won two gold medals in 2012 and 2016.

While there was no perfect ending in the French capital, Murray revealed he was now spending some quality time with his family. 

"The thing that I always found difficult in recent years was that there was always a guilt associated with what I was doing," Murray said.

"If I was going away for a trip of like three to four weeks I would feel guilty leaving my children at home or being away from my wife for a long time with them, so missing the kids I found hard.

"But if I was at home with the kids then I was running around and spending a lot of my time on my feet after training.

"I was then thinking 'is this going to affect my training or performance the next day, should I have my feet up?' I found that stuff difficult over the last few years."

Andy Murray is immensely proud of what he achieved after his return from life-altering hip surgery in 2019.

Murray, a three-time major champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, retired from tennis after his doubles campaign at the Paris Games came to an end on Thursday.

The 37-year-old and his partner Dan Evans lost to American duo Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in straight sets.

When reviewing his career after the hip surgery in 2019, Murray spoke of his pride in achieving victories against some of the brightest talent that the sport has to offer in the years that followed.

He also looked back fondly on the 46th and final title of his career, which came in Antwerp against great rival and fellow three-time slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka.

"Winning the trophy in Antwerp was great and although the results certainly weren't consistent I did have wins against quite a lot of players who are up at the top of the game – [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Jannik] Sinner, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, [Hubert] Hurkacz," Murray told BBC Sport.

And Murray doubts whether a similar comeback will be seen again.

"To do that with a metal hip, I don't know if that will happen again or not," he added.

"I was the first to try to do it and although it didn't go perfectly I was able to have what many players would consider a pretty successful four or five years."

Though Murray acknowledges the challenges he faced playing with a resurfaced hip, he remains content with how he was able to compete well into his thirties. 

"It wasn’t the same as it was before but that's what I’m most proud of – I was able to come back and play at the highest level with a pretty significant physical limitation," he said.

Queen's Club announced they will be renaming Centre Court after Andy Murray following his retirement from tennis.

Murray's glittering career came to an end on Thursday in the Olympics men’s double quarter-finals as he and Dan Evans were beaten in straight sets by American pair Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz.

He announced before the Games that it would be the final tournament of his career, and he pulled off two superb comeback wins, saving multiple match points in both, to make it to the last eight.

Murray bows out as a two-time Olympic gold medallist with three grand slams. He won 739 games across his 1001 ATP Tour level matches, winning 46 singles titles.

Five of those came at Queen's Club, and shortly after his retirement was confirmed, the newly named Andy Murray Arena was announced.

"Andy is the greatest tennis player ever to come from this country and a giant of British sport," LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said in a statement.

"His contribution to the game is immense and has bought us all so many moments of pride. He was relentless in his pursuit of excellence and had a single-minded determination to succeed.

"We are proud to name the arena at our tournament at the Queen's Club after him."

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic has led the tributes to Murray, having played him 36 times over the course of their careers.

"Andy, we were all hoping that this message will never come, but here it is," Djokovic said in a message uploaded to the ATP Tour's X account.

"I just want to say congratulations for an amazing career, multiple grand slams, number one in the world, two Olympic gold medals, a Davis Cup. You've done it all. Amazing, really.

"Congratulations to you, to your family. We go back a long time. I think we were 11 when we met the first time on the court, and we had some incredible encounters, and rivalries.

"We played finals of every single grand slam. You brought the Wimbledon title to Britain after 77 years, unfortunately, against me in the final, but it was quite a special historic moment that I cherish and was grateful to be part of.

"You can be proud of your incredible resilience and fighting spirit, the inspiration that you give to all of us after all the hardships you went through - the surgery, the restrictions in your movement.

"You still kept going, you showed everyone there is no letting go and no giving up. Kudos to you and all the best to you and your family. You deserve the best possible farewell."

"I am looking forward to stopping now", were the words of Andy Murray after his glittering tennis career came to an end at the Paris Olympics. 

Murray's final tournament ended in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros as he and Dan Evans were beaten in straight sets by American duo Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz. 

The 37-year-old left Court Suzanne-Lenglen to a standing ovation as the curtain came down on a career that included three Grand Slam titles, as well as singles gold at both the London and Rio Games.

"I feel good. I have been ready for this moment for the last few months since I had the operation on my back," said Murray.

"I knew it was the right time and I feel lucky to come and compete here.

"I am grateful to Dan (Evans) for putting in the effort he did to give us a good chance of having a great run. I am looking forward to stopping now."

While Murray and Evans had pulled off miraculous comebacks against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel and Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in the previous rounds, both Paul and Fritz proved to be a step too far. 

The British pair were second best for much of the contest, despite showing signs of yet another comeback in the second set only for Fritz's strong service game to cinch victory for the Americans. 

"I mean it was a great run and we lost to two top players today. They are both top tennis players, we would have had to play very well to win that match and we didn’t.

"We got into it at the end, but if we found that form earlier we could have caused them problems, but it wasn't to be.

"We did make the quarters, but if you get through that match you get an opportunity to win a medal."

Murray bows out having won 739 of his 1001 ATP Tour level matches, earning 46 singles titles across his career as well as spending 41 weeks as world number one. 

But in true Murray fashion, he posted to X joking he never liked the sport he played for 18 years shortly after the defeat. 

Andy Murray's tennis career has come to an end as he and Dan Evans were beaten by Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz in straight sets at the Paris Olympics. 

The two-time gold medallist had twice come from the jaws of defeat at the tournament, but there was to be no miracle this time as they were beaten 6-2 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

Murray and Evans endured a nightmare start to proceedings, conceding a double break to their American opponents which proved to be decisive in deciding the opening set.

Despite a better start in the second, Paul and Fritz would again stamp their authority on the encounter, racing into a 5-2 lead and to within a game of victory. 

But as shown in the previous rounds, Murray and Evans showcased grit and determination to claw themselves to within a game of levelling the contest after saving one match point in the eighth game. 

However, Fritz's strong serving would come to the fore as it had done throughout the contest on Court Suzanne Lenglen, making no mistake to wrap up the victory. 

Paul and Fritz will face Matthew Ebden and John Peers for a place in the final, potentially setting up an all-American clash with Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. 

Data Debrief: Murray's farewell ends in disappointment

There was to be no comeback from Murray and Evans this time around, as tennis says goodbye to one of its greatest ever players. 

But the encounter belonged to the Americans, whose performances on serve proved to be the difference at Roland-Garros. 

Fritz and Paul would win 63% of their 40 first serve points, winning seven service games compared to the Brits' four. 

Andy Murray was overcome with emotion after completing yet another superb doubles comeback at the Paris Olympics to stave off his retirement.

Murray and Dan Evans saved two match points to defeat the Belgium duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3 6-7 (10-8) 11-9 and reach the quarter-finals.

It was another great escape for the pair, who saved five match points in the previous round, and their heroics left Murray in tears as he slumped back in his chair.

Afterwards, he said: "It's unbelievably emotional. I mean you're obviously unbelievably happy and then for whatever reason, I don't know why it happens, it's like happy tears.

"I don't know why that's the case but I was really emotional at the end of the match.

"Obviously, I was extremely happy, excited that we managed to get through."

The three-time grand slam champion and one-time Olympic gold medallist is still hopeful of going further in the competition, having fallen out at the quarter-final stage of Tokyo 2021 alongside Joe Salisbury.

Murray said: "The way the scoring system is, and the way the teams play now, the margins are just so fine that anything can happen really.

"But we've definitely got a chance of getting through to the semis."

Evans, who is set to lose more than 110 ranking spots for not defending his Washington Open title in order to team up with Murray in Paris, is pleased with the improved level of performances as the tournament has progressed.

He said: "What happened again was incredible.

"We're getting really close to doing something pretty special. 

"People see that, how good we've been in tight moments, and we're getting better and better."

Murray and Evans will be back on court on Thursday and are now just one match away from the chance of a medal for Team GB.

Andy Murray delayed his retirement once more after he and Dan Evans edged another thrilling encounter against Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen at the Paris Olympics. 

The British duo saved match points again to emerge victorious in a gripping tie-break, prevailing 6-3 6-7 (10-8) 11-9 at Roland-Garros. 

Murray and Evans flew out the blocks in the opening exchanges, racing into a three-game lead early on before seeing out the first set in comfortable fashion. 

But their Belgian opponents fought back strongly in the second set and looked in a strong position to level the match, only for Evans' individual close-net brilliance to level the set.

For the second match in a row, Murray’s career hinged on a first-to-10-point match tie-break, with the British duo showing their powers of recovery once more after saving two match points. 

After missing two match points in the second-set tie-break, the Team GB duo would make no mistake this time around as Evans completed another miracle escape with a volley at the net that left Murray in tears shortly after. 

They will take on either American third seeds Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz or Dutch duo Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Murray's farewell tour continues 

In yet another enthralling match involving Murray and Evans, the pairs resilience once again shone through at Roland-Garros to keep the Scot's hopes of a third gold medal alive. 

The pair saved all three of the break points they faced, but were also equally impressive on serve as they won 57 of their 79 first serve points. 

Andy Murray says he is proud of his double's comeback with Dan Evans after admitting it was a new career experience having to save five match points.

Team GB looked set to crash out of the Olympics in the first round, but a thrilling match instead saw them prevail 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 11-9 against Japan's Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniels.

Having already forced a tie-break in the second set, Murray and Evans had to dig deep once again in the decider after going 9-4 down, and remarkably saved five match points before booking their place in the next round.

Murray, who is set to retire at the end of the Olympics, lauded Evans for the part he played in the dramatic fightback that has prolonged his career by at least one more match.

"I don't think I've saved five match points in a row – in singles it's almost impossible to do that, so I don't think I've ever done that before," Murray said after their win.

"It's probably up there in terms of comebacks – probably the way we were playing to that stage would have not suggested we were able to come back.

"In my career, I've turned around a lot of matches I've looked unlikely to win or people thought I shouldn't have won - at times I've had that mental toughness, strength that was at times early on in my career was questioned.

"I'm really proud of that - I always try my best to fight and figure out ways to come through. I certainly couldn't have done that on my own today – as a team, Evo played his part in that.

"Evo has shown that before and helped me big time today. We both served well, came up with some great returns, and it was a brilliant turnaround."

Murray and Evans will face either Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen or France's Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert in the next round.  

Andy Murray delayed his retirement with an epic Olympics first-round comeback as he and Dan Evans fought back to beat Japan's Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniels.

The two-time gold medallist looked set to be playing his final game, but Team GB prevailed 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 11-9 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Nishikori and Daniels, who were both eliminated from the men's singles competition earlier in the day, were keen to make amends and broke the British pair twice in the last four games of the opening set to draw first blood.

Murray and Evans responded well and replied to two breaks in the second set to force a tie-break, in which they held their nerve to level.

In the final set decider, the curtain looked sure to come down on Murray's glittering career, but the Brits survived five match points to level the tie-break at 9-9 before remarkably booking their place in the next round.

Data Debrief: From the jaws of defeat

Nishikori and Daniels could not have asked for a better first set as they brushed their opponents aside, making just four unforced errors to Team GB's 10.

However, Murray and Evans' resilience kicked in, and they saved two break points in the second set. In the decider, they won the last seven points to storm through, leaving their opponents shocked.

In an already memorable tournament for Murray, he has just played a match that will live long in the memory.

Andy Murray says winning the gold medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012 was the pinnacle of his career.

The Scot is playing in his final tournament at this year's Games in Paris and will be competing in doubles alongside Dan Evans.

Murray is playing in his fifth Olympics and is the only male two-time gold medallist in singles having also taken the top prize at Rio 2016.

He beat Roger Federer on home soil in straight sets in 2012, avenging a Wimbledon final defeat on the same court from a month earlier, before successfully defending his title four years later against Novak Djokovic.

Murray also won three grand slams in his career, triumphing twice at Wimbledon and at the US Open, but he said claiming gold for Team GB is the best achievement of his career.

"Winning the gold medal and obviously the silver in London is probably a big highlight," Murray told Eurosport. "Obviously Wimbledon was amazing but the way I felt that week [in London] meant the most to me.

"I don't always like it on the court, I do find competing very stressful, but that week, I was so happy. I really enjoyed the whole week.

"It is once in a lifetime to compete in an Olympics at home, and you know you're not going to get that opportunity again. Certainly made the most of it.

"I was lucky to win a couple of medals and we were really close to getting gold in the mixed as well.

"I did feel good going into that whole week I played. I felt like I was playing really, really well. I wasn't certainly sure I would win the final against Federer, but it was one of the best matches I've ever played, to be honest.

"Everything seemed to click that week. I don't know why that was the case. But I wish I could have played like that more often."

Following an injury-hit year, Murray will not be able to complete a hat-trick of gold medals in the singles, having withdrawn from that competition.

Now, the 37-year-old is determined to make the most of his final-ever tournament as he aims for glory at Roland Garros for the first time.

"I've been really lucky," Murray explained. "Athletes don't always acknowledge that side of things, but you need a lot of luck to hang around for that long.

"There have been some amazing athletes who have played in five, six Olympics. I'm glad to do it one more time.

"It's really different. It's amazing how just the change in the colours of the background can affect the feel of a place. Obviously, really familiar with Roland Garros and being in Paris, but the Olympics bring a different atmosphere.

"We experienced that in London. It wasn't how Wimbledon usually is. It was a very different feel. I love that. And I hope the French people come out and support and create a brilliant atmosphere there."

Rafael Nadal could face Novak Djokovic in a heavyweight second-round match at the Paris Olympic Games after the draws for the tennis tournaments were made on Thursday.

Nadal is widely expected to retire from tennis later this year, with the Olympics set to represent his swansong at Roland-Garros, where he has won 14 French Open titles.

He will play in both the singles and doubles tournaments, partnering current French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz for the latter competition.

Nadal and Alcaraz will face Argentina's fourth-seeded pair Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in a difficult first-round matchup in the doubles tournament.

Nadal is one of just two players to have won Olympic gold in both singles and doubles since the sport returned to the Games in 1988, doing so at Beijing 2008 (singles) and Rio 2016 (doubles) – Nicolas Massu triumphed over both events at Athens 2004.

In the singles, Nadal will take on Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the opening round, and the prize could be a second-round date with Djokovic, who faces Australian Matthew Ebden first.

 

They are on the same side of the draw as third seed Alexander Zverev, who faces Jaume Munar first, and seventh seed Taylor Fritz, who opens against Alexander Bublik.

On the opposite side of the bracket, Alcaraz will start his campaign against Hady Habib, with Britain's Cameron Norrie a potential second-round opponent.

Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev faces Rinky Hijikata in his first match, while fifth seed Alex de Minaur is a potential quarter-final opponent for Alcaraz.

Britain's Andy Murray withdrew from the singles event to concentrate on his doubles bid alongside Dan Evans on Thursday, and the duo will face Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel of Japan first.

Should they advance, home favourites Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert could await in round two, with Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul potential quarter-final foes, though the Americans will have to overcome Canada's Milos Raonic and Felix Auger Aliassime to get that far.

Murray and Evans cannot face Nadal and Alcaraz until the final. 

Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite in the women's draw, having won four French Open titles on the Paris clay. Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu is her round-one opponent.

On her same side of the draw, there is a huge round-one clash between Naomi Osaka and 2016 silver medallist Angelique Kerber, who announced on Thursday that she will retire after the Games.

Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins are also on that side of the draw, while Coco Gauff starts against Ajla Tomljanovic on the opposite side of the bracket.

Andy Murray has played his final singles match after withdrawing from the event at the Paris Olympics, choosing to focus on his doubles campaign alongside Dan Evans.

Having endured a difficult few years due to injuries, Murray confirmed earlier this week that he will retire from tennis after the Games in the French capital.

Murray – who won singles gold at both London 2012 and Rio 2016 – was due to play both singles and doubles, teaming up with Dan Evans for the latter tournament.

However, he announced he had withdrawn from the singles ahead of the draws behind made on Thursday.

"I have taken the decision to withdraw from the singles to focus on the doubles with Dan Evans," said a statement issued by Murray.

"Practice has been great and we're playing well together. I'm really looking forward to getting started and representing Team GB one more time."

Murray also withdrew from the singles at his final Wimbledon tournament earlier this month, with his final match on Centre Court being a first-round doubles defeat alongside brother Jamie.

Murray and Evans face stern competition in the doubles at Roland-Garros, with Spanish duo Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal forming a heavyweight partnership at the venue where the latter has won 14 French Open singles titles.

Every four years, players across the ATP and WTA Tours get another shot at major glory.

And with three grand slams already down in 2024, the Paris Olympics provides that extra shot in the arm as players across the board gun for gold.

The big names are descending on Roland-Garros for a second time this season, with the famous venue of the French Open playing host to the Olympic tennis tournament.

Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal, two dominant forces on the Parisian clay, will be in action, while Andy Murray, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, is making his final appearance before retirement.

Novak Djokovic is also set to feature, while Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff will play at their first Olympics, though Jannik Sinner, the men's world number one, has had to withdraw due to illness.

Here, we outline the main storylines ahead of the tournament starting on Saturday.

Murray's last hurrah

This will be it for Murray. The three-time grand slam champion, and former world number one, is finally bowing out.

The 37-year-old, who won gold in the men's singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as claiming silver in the mixed doubles at the first of those Games, confirmed his impending retirement on Tuesday.

Murray is the only man with multiple singles gold medals since tennis returned to the Olympic program in 1988. He will become the first British athlete to appear in four singles draws at the Games, too.

He is one of just eight players in the Open Era to have won 200 or more matches at majors, while only Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer have won more ATP 1000 matches than Murray since the format's introduction in 1990.

The Scot will bow out as the British player with the most singles titles on the ATP Tour in the Open Era (46).

The Dream Team

There are so many stars for fans in Paris to take in, but arguably the main attraction will be the doubles dream team of Nadal and his heir apparent Alcaraz, who are pairing up to represent Spain.

This team counts the record champion at Roland-Garros (14) in Nadal, and the reigning champion in Alcaraz.

While four-time major champion Alcaraz is featuring at his first Olympics, Nadal is a veteran campaigner at the Games, having scooped gold in the singles at Beijing 2008 and in the doubles in Rio eight years ago.

Nadal is one of two players to secure an Olympic gold in both the men's singles and doubles since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, alongside Nicolas Massu (both at Athens 2004).

 

Like Murray, Nadal is set to bow out in the coming months, and what better way to go than winning gold with the player who could well go on to match his feats?

Nadal's great rival Djokovic, meanwhile, will surely also be playing at his final Games.

Djokovic will become the player with the joint-most appearances in men's singles at the Olympics (five, equalling Yen Hsun Lu) since the sport returned to the Games 36 years ago.

The Serbian is the player with the most matches played (19) and joint-most matches won (13, level with Federer) at the Olympics since 1988.

Swiatek's Roland-Garros return

Women's world number one Swiatek loves Roland-Garros just as much as Nadal does.

Four of the 23-year-old's five grand slam titles have come at the venue, including her success earlier this year. In fact, Swiatek has won four of the past five French Open titles.

Swiatek lost in the second round in Tokyo, but given her dominance in Paris in recent years, she has to be considered the favourite in the women's draw.

Indeed, only Margaret Court (95.2%) has a higher winning percentage at Roland-Garros than Swiatek (94.6%) in the Open Era.

 

That being said, the incumbent world number one has won gold at the Olympics only twice: Steffi Graf in 1988 and Justine Henin in 2004.

Aryna Sabalenka rivalled Swiatek throughout this season's clay-court swing. The Belarusian, who will be competing under a neutral banner, lost in the second round in Tokyo three years ago. 

Gauff flying the flag

There was heartbreak for Gauff three years ago, as she missed out on what would have been her maiden Games after testing positive for COVID-19.

All being well, that won't be an issue this time around, and the 20-year-old will have the honour of bearing the United States flag at Friday's opening ceremony. She will be the first tennis player to fly the flag for Team USA.

Gauff, the world number two, has reached the quarters, the final, the quarters again and the semi-finals in her last four appearances at the French Open - will she finally break her Roland-Garros duck?

If she does, then Gauff will join Graf (1988), Jennifer Capriati (1992), Lindsay Davenport (1996) and Venus Williams (2000) as the women to win Olympic gold before turning 21.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka, who lit the torch in Tokyo, should not be discounted either.

She is looking to become the second Japanese player to secure an Olympic medal since tennis' return to the Games, after Kei Nishikori's bronze in Rio.

Andy Murray is in no doubt this is "the right time" to retire as he bows out after the Paris Olympics.

There had long been speculation around how long Murray would continue to compete, with his career beset by injury issues that limited him to three major titles.

But heading to France this week, the two-time Olympic champion confirmed the Games would be his final tournament.

In an interview with BBC Sport, Murray revealed only now is he entirely content with a decision that had long seemed likely.

"I didn't feel that way a few months ago when I thought that this is when I was going to stop," Murray said.

"I didn't want to. Now I want to. I know it is the right time for me."

Murray is still managing a back injury, but he is in line to compete in both the singles and doubles events, teaming up with Dan Evans in pursuit of another medal.

"Me and Dan made the commitment to each other, that is what we will prioritise," he added.

"That gives the team and us the best opportunity to get a medal.

"My back is still not perfect. I didn't feel great in the build-up to Wimbledon and during it. I feel better here."

Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir described fellow Team GB member Andy Murray as "inspirational" ahead of the Paris Games. 

Muir, who came second in the 1,500m in Tokyo three years ago, will again compete this year in the hopes of sealing a first gold medal in Paris. 

Three-time grand slam winner Murray has confirmed he will retire from tennis after the Games, having previously won gold on two occasions.

The Scot's first Games appearance was in Beijing in 2008, losing in straight sets to Lu Yen-hsun in the first round.

Four years later, Murray triumphed on home soil by beating Roger Federer at London 2012, beating the Swiss in straight sets in the final.

The Briton became the first male tennis player to win two Olympic singles titles when he beat Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro at Rio 2016.

Murray withdrew from the singles event at the most recent grand slam at Wimbledon, competing in the doubles alongside brother Jamie but going out in the first round.

Dan Evans will partner Murray in the doubles in Paris, with Muir praising the Scot's influence both on and off the court across his 19-year professional career. 

"I think it's just he's been at the top for so long, and it's just been so nice to see him progress through everything," Muir told Stats Perform. 

"He's had so many hard times and he's come back and he's fought so hard and he's been so patient and such a big sportsmanship person at the same time.

"I think he's just hugely inspirational, not just in the sport of tennis but through Scottish sports and also lots of other sports on the team as well.

"Just to see someone fight for so long and do so well, it's been so nice to see.

"So it'll be such a shame that we won't see more of him to come, but it's just so nice to be able to finish it with the Olympics - he's hugely inspirational person both on and off the court."

Fellow 1,500m hopeful Jake Wightman, who finished 10th at the Tokyo games, echoed Muir's words on Murray's glittering career. 

"I think probably him winning Wimbledon for the first time is like a iconic moment within my sporting history, just because I'd watched Wimbledon most years and never seen a Brit perform anywhere near that level," Wightman told Stats Perform. 

"You'd obviously had Tim Henman going to a certain point, but it had been an era of just watching [Rafael] Nadal and Federer for a long time battling it out.

"So to see somebody in Britain, a British athlete, being able to go and do that was, I think, something that we may not see for a long time."

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