When you compare his achievements with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic it doesn’t seem much. But in truth it’s a huge achievement, certainly in the history of British tennis.
Will we ever see another British tennis player like him?
My favourite sports person. Loved following his career.
They said he wasn’t fit enough, but he turned himself into one of the fittest players on the circuit. They said his back hand was weak but he turned it into a weapon. They said his second serve wasn’t good enough, but he worked until it was. They said he was too serious and sulky and he said “eff you, I’m a tennis player not a comedian”. They said he was a bottle job, but he became one of the fiercest competitors and toughest to beat out there. They said he was Scottish and hates the English but he won a Davis Cup and Olympic Gold for Great Britain.
All the while, he stuck to his principles, stood up for female equality, and got up the noses of all the right kinds people.
My favourite sports person. Loved following his career.
They said he wasn’t fit enough, but he turned himself into one of the fittest players on the circuit. They said his back hand was weak but he turned it into a weapon. They said his second serve wasn’t good enough, but he worked until it was. They said he was too serious and sulky and he said “eff you, I’m a tennis player not a comedian”. They said he was a bottle job, but he became one of the fiercest competitors and toughest to beat out there. They said he was Scottish and hates the English but he won a Davis Cup and Olympic Gold for Great Britain.
All the while, he stuck to his principles, stood up for female equality, and got up the noses of all the right kinds people.
Triple Grand Slam Winner
Olympic Champion
Former World Number One Davis Cup Winner
British (and Scottish) Sporting Legend
And All Round Good Egg
Rest that hip, son, you’ve earnt it!
Decent tribute tbf
absolute legend of a tennis player and just a shame his career was at the same time as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal or he'd Have a stack more titles.
or, and am purely playing devils advocate here, maybe the reason those three won so many titles is that the Murray’s and Wawrinkas were not all that and we are looking at him through success starved British eyes, tried so hard to shoehorn him into part of a ‘big four’ when it was so obviously a big three and then some scraps
My favourite sports person. Loved following his career.
They said he wasn’t fit enough, but he turned himself into one of the fittest players on the circuit. They said his back hand was weak but he turned it into a weapon. They said his second serve wasn’t good enough, but he worked until it was. They said he was too serious and sulky and he said “eff you, I’m a tennis player not a comedian”. They said he was a bottle job, but he became one of the fiercest competitors and toughest to beat out there. They said he was Scottish and hates the English but he won a Davis Cup and Olympic Gold for Great Britain.
All the while, he stuck to his principles, stood up for female equality, and got up the noses of all the right kinds people.
Triple Grand Slam Winner
Olympic Champion
Former World Number One Davis Cup Winner
British (and Scottish) Sporting Legend
And All Round Good Egg
Rest that hip, son, you’ve earnt it!
Decent tribute tbf
absolute legend of a tennis player and just a shame his career was at the same time as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal or he'd Have a stack more titles.
Rest up lad, I reckon you’ve earned it
He was the best the UK has delivered in my lifetime. I do remember when he first came onto the scene and stamina was an issue. It says a lot about the man that it became a strength.
or, and am purely playing devils advocate here, maybe the reason those three won so many titles is that the Murray’s and Wawrinkas were not all that and we are looking at him through success starved British eyes, tried so hard to shoehorn him into part of a ‘big four’ when it was so obviously a big three and then some scraps
Alcarez has already exceeded their slam totals
Yes, and he's done it when Federer has retired, and Nadal and Djokovic are well past their peak (still great mind you but lacking their prime power and fitness.) If anything it actually shows how dominant those three were I think.
Murray can still be the greatest British tennis player ever without being as good as The Big Three. Not being as good as arguably three of the best EVER still leaves plenty of room to be excellent in his own right.
My favourite sports person. Loved following his career.
They said he wasn’t fit enough, but he turned himself into one of the fittest players on the circuit. They said his back hand was weak but he turned it into a weapon. They said his second serve wasn’t good enough, but he worked until it was. They said he was too serious and sulky and he said “eff you, I’m a tennis player not a comedian”. They said he was a bottle job, but he became one of the fiercest competitors and toughest to beat out there. They said he was Scottish and hates the English but he won a Davis Cup and Olympic Gold for Great Britain.
All the while, he stuck to his principles, stood up for female equality, and got up the noses of all the right kinds people.
Triple Grand Slam Winner
Olympic Champion
Former World Number One Davis Cup Winner
British (and Scottish) Sporting Legend
And All Round Good Egg
Rest that hip, son, you’ve earnt it!
And also a real leader for British tennis. For example inviting Dan Evans to join him at his Miami training camp to show him how to train properly. Or the Battle of the Brits events organised by The Murrays during the Covid lockdowns.
or, and am purely playing devils advocate here, maybe the reason those three won so many titles is that the Murray’s and Wawrinkas were not all that and we are looking at him through success starved British eyes, tried so hard to shoehorn him into part of a ‘big four’ when it was so obviously a big three and then some scraps
Alcarez has already exceeded their slam totals
Yes, and he's done it when Federer has retired, and Nadal and Djokovic are well past their peak (still great mind you but lacking their prime power and fitness.) If anything it actually shows how dominant those three were I think.
Murray can still be the greatest British tennis player ever without being as good as The Big Three. Not being as good as arguably three of the best EVER still leaves plenty of room to be excellent in his own right.
Don't get me wrong - for me, he is one of the Top 10 best British sportsmen of the last 20 years
Unlucky he played in the era he did. Still has an excellent CV, loved watching him play. I find Tennis a little boring now without having him at the top level if i'm honest.
Good tennis player but what a dour, miserable glum person he was.
Tennis was his work and he was a dour Scot on court but was different as he proved on a couple of occasions when he was in the audience for mock the week and he was mocked and praised in equal measure.
or, and am purely playing devils advocate here, maybe the reason those three won so many titles is that the Murray’s and Wawrinkas were not all that and we are looking at him through success starved British eyes, tried so hard to shoehorn him into part of a ‘big four’ when it was so obviously a big three and then some scraps
Alcarez has already exceeded their slam totals
Murray was part of the big four, that was because time and time again, at the semi final stage of the slams, it was the same four. However, the titles, make it hard to argue he was on a par with the top 3, he was just behind, in one of the most incredible eras of tennis, where the best pushed each other to extraordinary heights.
But looking at titles alone, and using that to put Murray on a par with Wawrinka is clearly unfair and then comparing to Alcaraz, with a much lower level of competition.
Wawrinka made 4 finals, Murray 11, and Murray has two olympic titles also, as well as 46 tour singles titles, compared to Wawrinka's 12.
There is no doubt Murray made the most of the talent he was given, he didn't have the grace of Federer, the guile of Djokovic or the raw power of Nadal, but what he had he used effectively, he improved his game in every area he could, and where he could improve no more, he used his determination to keep him in matches.
To be the in the top 4 in the world for 10 years is in itself outstanding. His ranking and titles record make him a real legend. Probably the greatest British sportsman of my lifetime.
I love him, any other generation of male tennis he is the daddy but kept pace with 3 of the best players of all time. Never quit and crucially, gave the country an actual shout of seeing a British winner of Wimbledon in our lifetimes. In with a shout of greatest living sportsman
I love him, any other generation of male tennis he is the daddy but kept pace with 3 of the best players of all time. Never quit and crucially, gave the country an actual shout of seeing a British winner of Wimbledon in our lifetimes. In with a shout of greatest living sportsman
Greatest living British sportsman I should have said
And good for him for being honest enough to not pretend to be English when it suits him. The ABE stuff I thought was good humoured, showed up sensationalist journalists for the thickos they are and so what? I'm English and British, hes Scottish and British more power to him
Good tennis player but what a dour, miserable glum person he was.
Yeah that's the story that gets trotted out. Loving father, campaigner for equality in the sport, great sense of humour, but no. "A dour Scot". Well done.
Good tennis player but what a dour, miserable glum person he was.
Yeah that's the story that gets trotted out. Loving father, campaigner for equality in the sport, great sense of humour, but no. "A dour Scot". Well done.
If only he’d had a solid 10 minute pre-match stand-up set, like Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal, that he could warm the crowd up with and he’d have surely won more majors.
Comments
When you compare his achievements with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic it doesn’t seem much. But in truth it’s a huge achievement, certainly in the history of British tennis.
Will we ever see another British tennis player like him?
perfect tweet to end his career with
Davis Cup Winner
absolute legend of a tennis player and just a shame his career was at the same time as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal or he'd Have a stack more titles.
Murray can still be the greatest British tennis player ever without being as good as The Big Three. Not being as good as arguably three of the best EVER still leaves plenty of room to be excellent in his own right.
And not escaping to Monaco as a tax exile.
Tennis was his work and he was a dour Scot on court but was different as he proved on a couple of occasions when he was in the audience for mock the week and he was mocked and praised in equal measure.
But looking at titles alone, and using that to put Murray on a par with Wawrinka is clearly unfair and then comparing to Alcaraz, with a much lower level of competition.
Wawrinka made 4 finals, Murray 11, and Murray has two olympic titles also, as well as 46 tour singles titles, compared to Wawrinka's 12.
There is no doubt Murray made the most of the talent he was given, he didn't have the grace of Federer, the guile of Djokovic or the raw power of Nadal, but what he had he used effectively, he improved his game in every area he could, and where he could improve no more, he used his determination to keep him in matches.
So for me Faldo has to be above Murray
And good for him for being honest enough to not pretend to be English when it suits him. The ABE stuff I thought was good humoured, showed up sensationalist journalists for the thickos they are and so what? I'm English and British, hes Scottish and British more power to him