Andy Murray might not receive Olympic farewell, ITF president reveals

Andy Murray prepares to end his career at the Olympic Games, but he might not get the farewell he hoped for. Tennis chiefs have stated that the possibility of a ceremony is out of their hands, as only the Olympic organisation can decide on it.

The 3-time Grand Slam champion announced earlier this year that his retirement would be during the European summer. Murray was unable to participate in the singles draw at Wimbledon after undergoing back surgery just ten days before the tournament began.

Although the former world No. 1 acknowledged he wasn't physically fit to compete in a five-set tournament, he recovered enough to participate in the doubles draw and make a final appearance at the All England Club, being the British hero who lifted the trophy twice, the only local to achieve it in the Open Era.

He will play in the men's doubles alongside his brother Jamie Murray and received a wildcard for the mixed doubles draw, where he will partner with the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Murray has not yet confirmed his final professional appearance. However, according to the Daily Express, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is looking to convince Murray to travel to Manchester in September for the Great Britain Davis Cup qualifiers to give him a proper farewell.

Murray is considering retiring as a professional at Paris 2024 on the courts of Roland Garros. But the ITF has admitted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) might prevent a farewell ceremony for Murray at the Olympic Games: "I think we are in discussions with various players," ITF president David Haggerty said on Thursday. "A lot comes down to what they want and what they may think about, and often times we find that players don't want to talk about it at this moment and aren't prepared.”

"But we have had conversations regarding some of our other competitions, like Davis Cup," he continued. "And you know, we'd like to work with the players and do something that they feel is appropriate and right. So don't have the final answer for you on that, but we certainly would like to celebrate some of the legends of our game."

ITF President Haggerty was asked to clarify whether there would be a farewell for the former world No. 1 at the Olympic Games or if it could be postponed until the Davis Cup, to which he commented: "A lot will come down to, you know, what Andy himself would like to do."

Meanwhile, ITF Executive Director Kelly Fairweather mentioned that it is unlikely the Olympic officials will allow a farewell for Murray at Roland Garros: "If you're asking about Paris, we obviously fall under the direction of the IOC, and generally the IOC don't do that for any athlete across the Games. So as Dave says, we'll be looking to do that at one of our events."