Andy Murray says Paris Olympics will be final tennis tournament
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Andy Murray during practice at Roland Garros on July 22, ahead of the Paris Olympics which will be held at the site of the French Open.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS – Two-time Olympic singles champion Andy Murray said on July 23 that the tennis competition at the Paris Games will be the final event of his career.
The 37-year-old, widely regarded as one of Britain’s all-time great sportsmen, won singles gold in 2012 and 2016, apart from capturing three Grand Slam titles in a glittering career.
“Arrived in Paris for my last-ever tennis tournament @Olympics,” he said on X.
“Competing for Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get to do it one final time.”
Earlier in July, the injury-plagued Murray bade an emotional farewell at Wimbledon – where he won two Slam titles – following a doubles defeat partnering his brother Jamie.
The Scot, who underwent surgery on June 22 to remove a spinal cyst which was compressing his nerves and making him lose control and power in his right leg, decided he was not fit enough for the demands of singles competition there.
The Olympic tennis competition begins on July 27 and Murray – who has struggled over the years since having hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019 – will be playing both singles and doubles.
Meanwhile, Olympic silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic has withdrawn from Paris due to a hand injury, with Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz pulling out as well.
Vondrousova reached the women’s final in Tokyo three years ago, losing to Belinda Bencic.
Katerina Siniakova, who won gold at the last Olympics in doubles and is a nine-time Slam champion in women’s doubles, will replace her in the singles and Linda Noskova will play doubles with Karolina Muchova.
Hurkacz was forced to retire from his Wimbledon second-round match when he dived for a volley but landed badly and injured his knee, and has not recovered in time to compete in Paris.
Other notable absences from the Games include world No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Emma Raducanu, Ben Shelton and Tokyo men’s singles bronze-medal winner Pablo Carreno Busta.
In cycling, Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar has been ruled out after the three-week race, the Slovenian Olympic Committee said on July 22.
The 25-year-old, who won his third Tour a day earlier,
He was one of the favourites, alongside Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, for the Olympic road race on Aug 3.
“He will be replaced by his national team colleague Domen Novak,” a statement said.
Defending champion Richard Carapaz, who won the mountains classification at the Tour, was also not selected by Ecuador. REUTERS
