Just a week after retiring from tennis, Andy Murray hosted an exclusive farewell party for his family and close friends. Wimbledon hero Tim Henman was among the lucky guests.
After an emotional farewell on the clay court, the 37-year-old returned to his £5 million mansion in Surrey, where he lives with his wife Kim and four children, to get a feel for life after hanging up his racket.
Murray’s tennis career is not long behind him, having exited the Olympic doubles tournament in Paris alongside Dan Evans. The pair lost to Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul at Roland Garros after a magical run to the quarterfinals.
Given her performance, there may have been speculation that Murray might regret his decision to quit tennis. But Henman dismissed any suggestions that Murray was considering quitting tennis, saying he was at peace with his decision.
“I actually saw him on Friday, he had a bit of a going away party at his house with Kim and his family for about 30 people,” Henman told Express Sport. “He was in top form there and I think he realises this is exactly the right time for him to stop.”
“He has overcome so many physical challenges in recent years and hopefully he now has the time to reflect a little and look back on his phenomenal career, the successes and tournaments he has won and everything that goes with it.”
“(It’s) not only time to reflect but also to relax and spend time with his family because the life of a professional tennis player is obviously a huge commitment and you’re really busy 24/7 with the tournaments, the training, the travelling and so much on the road. Hopefully he can enjoy the time with his children.”
Murray will go down in history as one of the most successful British players of all time, with three Grand Slam titles and 46 ATP Tour titles. He also won gold medals in the Olympic singles events at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Replacing the Scot will be a difficult task for the next generation of British tennis players, as Jack Draper is the highest-ranked male star at 28th in the world. Repeating “Player”
But Henman, the former British number one who reached the semi-finals of majors six times, believes it would be wrong to portray the 22-year-old as the “next Murray”.
“There will only ever be one Andy Murray,” added Henman. “We have some great young players, and on the men’s side, Jack Draper is at the top of the list.”
“But for Draper it’s not about being Andy Murray, it’s about being the best version of himself. You see how his game has evolved and the improvements he’s made.
“He won a Tour title this year. He’s still very inexperienced and far from being a finished product, but he’s already in the top 30 in the world. Hopefully he can finish the year well and there’s no reason why he can’t finish in the top 20.”
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