"I will always be cheering for you," Serena Williams gets emotional over Andy Murray's retirement

Serena Williams shared a heartfelt video on social media in which she praised Andy Murray and thanked him for ‘speaking out so much for women’. The British 3-time Grand Slam champion had an emotional farewell on Centre Court after losing in the first round of the men's doubles alongside his brother Jamie Murray.

Andy still has a pending appearance at SW19, as he will feature in a high-profile mixed doubles match with the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Saturday, July 6th. This will be Murray's last match at the All England Club as he prepares for his retirement this year.

With a remarkable career that includes 46 titles and 41 weeks as world No. 1, some of Murray's unforgettable moments have come in mixed doubles, including the silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games with Laura Robson and the legendary pairing with Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2019.

In 2019, the partnership of the local hero with the American 23-time Grand Slam champion surprised many. They have often shared mutual praise and respect for each other's achievements, which led to their unforgettable partnership in 2019, though they fell in the third round to Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar.

“I had the pleasure of playing mixed doubles next to you, by your side, which was such a fantastic experience. It really was one of the highlights of my life,” Williams told Murray in a heartfelt video posted on X. “I’m just so grateful that I had that experience,” Williams said, “and also hold a special place in my heart for you because you always speak out so much for women, and everything that women deserve.”

Murray has often publicly defended women's sports. In 2016, when asked what it felt like to become ‘the first person’ to win two Olympic golds, Murray pointed out, ‘I think Venus and Serena have won about four each,’ Murray said.

Also, when a journalist asked him about Sam Querrey in 2017, ‘the first American to reach the Wimbledon semifinals since 2009,’ Murray clarified that Querrey was the first ‘male player,’ noting that Serena Williams had won five titles at SW19 during that period. In 2017, he also published an article on the BBC website about the need for pay equality in tennis.

“You were the leader in that,” Serena Williams remarked in her video. “The things you spoke up about on—the things you said about myself and Venus, about how we were always so inspiring, and what we meant to you—it really went such a long way, in my heart I will always be grateful for that.”

“I’ve always been such a fan, as you already know,” Williams said with a beaming smile, “and I will always be cheering for you and rooting you on, whatever you decide to do next.”