Wimbledon marks its plans in case Andy Murray announces his retirement at SW19. Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), spoke at the annual pre-tournament press conference, and the potential retirement of Murray at the tournament was one of the discussed topics.
The 3-time Grand Slam champion announced his plans not to play beyond the European summer, but has not set a concrete date for his retirement, although Wimbledon seems like the ideal place under the affection of his home Slam crowd: “We have certainly got plans in place and we’re ready and prepared,” said Bolton. “But ultimately, it’s Andy’s decision and we’ll very much be led by him and we can amend our plans accordingly.”
Murray has yet to confirm exactly when he will retire. The former world No. 1 hopes to compete for the last time in the Olympic Games, but his presence will depend on whether he can compete in the doubles. The Scot is waiting for a wildcard as an Olympic champion, while the British team will be announced at the end of this week.
If Murray plays his last tournament at Wimbledon, Bolton commented that the AELTC does not require any notification: “We’re ready, we’ve got plans,” she said. “They’re very adaptable. We’re clear about what we want to do. But it’s really important that this is Andy’s call and so we’ll be very much led by him in the decision he makes.”
Bolton also addressed the controversies regarding match end times, given that they have caused problems in the Grand Slams, especially when unpredictable weather leads to early morning finishes: “We’re still confident we can achieve what we need to do in that period of time,” said Bolton. “We’ve reviewed it, we’ve thought long and hard, and looked at the data around the length of matches and the trends that are occurring in that space. We’re very confident and happy with the decision that we’ve made this year.”
“The waiting is over” ⌛️ Andy Murray ending Great Britain’s 77-year wait for a Gentlemen's Singles champion at #Wimbledon 🏆
Andy Murray’s 1st Wimbledon win in 2013! It was electric watching from the sofa, to have been there would have been an experience of a lifetime. 🎾
