Andy Murray’s emotional farewell in second round at Queen’s Club after mid-match retirement

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 18:37

Andy Murray retires from the Queen’s Club Championships mid-match in the second round against Jordan Thompson. The 5-time champion likely played for the last time in the tournament that brought him the most success, having announced that he will not play beyond the European summer.

Murray's retirement seems closer, and his journey at Queen’s had a disappointing end for local fans. The former world No. 1 had debuted on Tuesday with a successful and hard-fought win against Alexei Popyrin, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, increasing his record at Queen’s to 32-9 and marking his 1000th match at ATP Tour-level.

Bad news for Murray in the midst of grass-swing

The Briton was not playing well. Murray began with a break against him in the first game and barely won a handful of points against Thompson. The Briton won only 31% of the points played (38% on his serve and 20% on return).

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From the start, it was clear he was not physically well, showing evident discomfort after the first break. Later, with the score at 1-2, he requested a medical time-out and was treated for lower back pain. Although he returned to the court to continue fighting for a few more minutes, Murray was not in a condition to stay on the court.

The Briton had an emotional exit from the court to the ovation of the crowd, who saw their local hero continue to struggle with injuries in a challenging end to his career.