Andy Murray: Wheelchair tennis pays tribute

Reid, Alcott and Fernandez react to retirement announcement 14 Jan 2019
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Able bodied tennis player Andy Murray shakes hands with a number of wheelchair tennis players

Andy Murray (R) meets British wheelchair tennis players

ⒸBritish Tennis
By IPC

“He is one of the players I enjoyed the most watching. A fighter and one of the most ferocious and toughest competitors of all."

The tennis world was shocked to hear British legend Andy Murray announce his retirement from competitive sport at a press conference prior to the 2019 Australian Open.

The former world No. 1 and two-time Olympic gold medallist later lost to Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Grand Slam in which could possibly be his last match as a professional.

Wheelchair tennis players Gordon Reid, Dylan Alcott and Gustavo Fernandez expressed their surprise and sadness that Murray will have to retire due to a chronic hip injury.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Paralympic champion Reid said: “He doesn’t want to end his career short; it’s difficult to see him going through that much pain.

“Andy’s somebody who will always be able to say that he’s done absolutely everything and turned every stone to try and prolong his career.

“It’s somebody who’s having something thrust upon him, forced upon him."

“He’s not somebody that will go out with regrets thinking ‘I wish I’d done that’ and ‘I wish I’d done a little bit different´.

“But obviously it’s still really difficult and horrible for him, and I think everybody in tennis [is] going to miss him.”

Latin America’s first world No. 1 Fernandez added: “He is one of the players I enjoyed the most watching. A fighter and one of the most ferocious and toughest competitors of all.

“He (Murray) has an impressive mental clarity for playing. Those of us who love tennis wish him the best of the best in whatever he does.”

Australian world No.1 quad player Alcott said: "This guy (Murray) is not only one of the greatest tennis players, but also one of the greatest people you will ever meet. God I hope we see him in Australia one more time - an absolute legend on and off the court."