Paris 2024 Olympics: Andy Murray withdraws from tennis singles but will play doubles, here's why
Andy Murray has officially pulled out of the singles competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The 37-year-old is set to feature in the doubles competition alongside Dan Evans, which will be the final tournament of his career.
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The two-time Wimbledon champion has already confirmed he will retire following the games, ending his 19-year professional career.
Murray, 37, has already confirmed that he will retire from the sport following the Games.
Despite his singles withdrawal, Murray has insisted he is still “really looking forward” to representing his country “one more time” in Paris.
"I've taken the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan [Evans]," Murray said in a statement on Thursday.
"Our practice has been great and we're playing well together. Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time.”
The Briton’s second-round Queen’s Club Championships defeat to Jordan Thompson in June turned out to be the final singles match of his 19-year professional career.
Thompson won via walkover as Murray was forced to retire in the opening set after only five games because of a back injury, and later revealed that he regretted featuring at Queen’s.
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Murray’s final singles win came against Alexei Popyrin in the opening round at Queen’s, when he ended a four-match losing streak against the Australian to advance to the second round.
In the build-up to the Olympics, Murray admitted that he was likely to ditch the singles competition to give doubles his full focus, which he said was his “best opportunity to get a medal”.
Murray is the most decorated singles player in Olympic history and the only player to have sealed multiple gold medals, which he won back-to-back.
He claimed gold for the first time at his home Games in 2012, defeating tennis legend Roger Federer in straight sets in a familiar setting for both players – on Centre Court at the All England Club.
Four years later, he retained his status as Olympic champion in Rio when he overcame Juan Martin del Potro in a mammoth final that went on for more than four hours.
Murray has also tasted doubles success at the Games when he and Laura Robson rallied all the way to the final in London.
The British duo were eventually outdone by the Belarusian top-seeded pair of Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi in three sets and settled for silver medal.
Murray has become the third player to drop out of the singles draw since Wednesday, after Jannik Sinner withdrew with tonsillitis and Holger Rune pulled out with a wrist injury.
The tennis draws for the Olympics in Paris will take place on Thursday, July 25, with prolific doubles duo Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz involved.