By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Many of the biggest names of tennis, including Novak Djokovic, John McEnroe, Martina Navrailova, Tim Henman and Iga Swiatek, – and full house on Centre Court at Wimbledon – were on hand as Andy Murray was celebrated for his incredible career at the All England Club..
But many still wondered….where was Roger Federer?
The 20-time major champion and one of Murray’s biggest rivals was on site at the All England Club earlier in the day, but when the many current and former players stood just outside the entrance to Centre Court during the post-match ceremony after Murray and his brother Jamie lost their first round doubles match, Federer was nowhere to be seen. Some speculated that he didn’t want to upstage Murray by appearing on court and was perhaps watching from the locker room, but the reason was much more simple than that.
“I wish I could have been there last night, but I already had obligations because I didn’t know exactly how it was going to all play out,” Federer told Chris McKendry on ESPN on Friday, July 5 the day after the ceremony. “I actually took an earlier flight on Tuesday to be here in case he played his singles, and then as I boarded the flight, there was, “No, Andy’s not playing singles.” I’m like, “Oh, my God.” So okay. So I was on standby and then unfortunately, last night just couldn’t be there. But I quickly went to see him before the match and I could see Andy was extremely nervous and caring for that very moment, because obviously Wimbledon means so much to him and his family and his team.”
Murray announced earlier this year that 2024 Wimbledon would be his last. He then said he would play his final career event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. However, when competing at the Queens Club pre-Wimbledon grass court event, he discovered that he had a cyst on his back that hampered his movement and had to be removed, putting his Wimbledon participation in jeopardy. The operation and its after effects caused Murray to have to withdraw from the Wimbledon singles competition but entered the doubles with his brother Jamie and also the mixed with 2021 U.S. Open champion and fellow Brit Emma Raducanu. Murray and his brother, however, were defeated in the first round of doubles Thursday, July 4, falling to John Peers and Rinky Hijikata 7-6, 6-4.
“I watched all the highlights again and I thought amazing for him,” Federer said of Murray’s doubles loss. “Still a little bit more to come, hopefully in the mixed. And then also the Olympics, I believe. And then I guess that’s it for him. We don’t know exactly, but look, he was there for my retirement at the Laver Cup at the O2, and I was so happy that he was around.”
When Murray won the Wimbledon singles title in 2013 (as outlined in the book “Andy Murray: Wimbledon Champion here https://a.co/d/00jxmvtr) be broke a 77-year drought for British man at Wimbledon, becoming the first man from Britain to win the singles title at the All England Club since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray won a second Wimbledon singles title in 2016. His first major singles title, however, came at the 2012 U.S. Open, shortly after he lost in a heartbreaking Wimbledon final to Federer, but beating him in the Olympic gold medal match, also on Centre Court at Wimbledon. Murray, who also lost the 2008 U.S. Open final and 2010 Australian Open final to Federer, also became the first repeat singles gold medalist in Olympic tennis history by winning again at the Rio de Janiero Games in 2016. Federer won 14 of the 25 matches they played in their careers, documented in the book “On This Day In Roger Federer History” for sale and download here: https://a.co/d/0e0QDCu7
“What an incredible career,” Federer said of Murray. “I loved playing against him, even though he beat me probably 20 times, but he’s been terrific. And of course, it had to be emotional as well.”
