The ‘Big 4’ of tennis is shrinking. With Roger Federer hanging up his racquets in 2022, and now Andy Murray announcing his retirement for 2024, it’s a bittersweet moment for tennis fans worldwide. As the 37-year-old prepares to bid adieu to the courts after a glorious career, he’s receiving an outpouring of praise and heartwarming messages. The latest to honor him is none other than tennis legend Federer, who shared an adorable and heart-wrenching message for his old rival turned friend.

Murray lost the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics alongside Dan Evans. Playing against Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, the duo lost in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. This defeat not only marked the end of Murray’s Olympic campaign but also his tennis career, as the Brit had earlier shared that he would quit the sport soon after the tournament. And as former World No. 1 bids adieu to the tennis courts, Federer seems to be emotional.

In a video shared by the official Instagram page of the ATP Tour on Friday, Federer can be seen sharing his regards. “Hey Andy. Many Many congratulations my friend on an incredible career. Wimbledon champion, US Open Champion, Davis Cup Champion, Olympic champion, and many more things, you have achieved. So many Masters 1000s as well. World No. 1 and a Sir. So Sir Andy Murray, incredible effort on the most wonderful of careers.”

For the unversed, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Murray was awarded the knighthood in 2019 for his incredible talent in the sport and the charity work that he undertook. The Swiss Maestro further highlighted the resilience that Murray demonstrated lately.  “Great human being and doing it all with a massive family at the end, and a hip and a body that clearly wasn’t giving you what you wanted at the end which is a true inspiration to me and many of the players out there.”

Remember, Murray went through surgery to remove a spinal cyst just days ahead of his Wimbledon campaign? Despite complaining about the struggles he faced due to the operation, he did not leave any stone unturned in attempting to give his best. While he withdrew from some events like the men’s singles in the Olympics, he kept his priorities intact and was determined throughout. But for Swiss Maestro, the most important thing is the clashes in which the two played against each other. 

Continuing further in the interview, Federer recalled, “And just from my side, I have so much respect. Love playing against you, even though I lost so many times against you. And it was brutal. But congrats on everything that you’ve achieved and everything that’s to come.” Federer and Murray have faced each other 25 times on the ATP circuit with the Brit winning 11 of these encounters. And of these victories came in the finals of the 2012 Olympics, which gave a major heartbreak to Federer.

However, this is not the first time when the 42-year-old has expressed his affection for Murray. In an interaction with BBC, Federer said, “I hope Andy, like Rafa and Novak, can keep playing forever, like a fan. The tour is better with them.” There were several teary eyes in the stands as Sir Murray bid adieu to the sport on Thursday. But despite the emotional transition in his life, the star player is determined to remain cheeky and make a fun-filled exit.

Murray bids a humorous farewell to tennis

Soon after his match, Murray took to his X and wrote, “Never even liked tennis anyway.” He also changed his X bio which now reads, “I played tennis,” signifying that the legendary player is determined to explore the new chapter of his life. However, he failed to remain humorous on the tennis court.

In the post-match interview, Murray expressed his sorrow to bid adieu to the sport. “There are obviously things that I look back on and wish that I could have done differently, but it’s been a tough time to win major titles in the sport with the players that were ahead of me. I’m proud of my achievements, my efforts and I’m looking forward to prolonged rest now. I’m sad to be finishing but the last couple of weeks since we arrived here have been brilliant. I’ve had a lot of fun being around the team.”

As the tennis world evolves, the fans of Murray cannot remain indifferent. The world will indeed remember the glorious years that the star player has given to the game, which marked his own era in the sport!