The BBC brought back legendary presenter Sue Barker, alongside some other famous faces, to surprise Andy Murray with a tribute after his doubles match with his brother Jamie
Andy Murray was surprised by an emotional tribute on Centre Court after his doubles match alongside his brother Jamie at Wimbledon.
The BBC brought out former presenter Sue Barker, who retired in 2022, to speak to Murray before they showed an emotionally-charged montage on the screens. With his mum Judie, wife Kim and two of his children in the crowd, along with British players past and present on court, including Tim Henman, Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Cam Norrie, a tearful Murray received a huge round of applause from the crowd.
“Yeah it was obviously really special. We never got the chance to do it before. There was a chance this year,” he said.
“Jamie’s usual partner was playing with Neal Skupski so he asked me. Obviously it was a bit of a race against time to try and get out here and physically it wasn’t easy today but I’m glad we were able to get out here and do this one time together.”
The tribute came after Murray and his brother were beaten by John Peers and Rinky Hijikata on Centre Court in their first-round doubles match. The 37-year-old has stated that he won’t play on much beyond this summer. He will play in the mixed doubles alongside Emma Raducanu before a potential last bow at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Murray was emotional during the montage, which included tributes from Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Beginning his speech, Murray joked: “Two of my kids are up there and it’s way past their bedtime.”
With Djokovic among the people brought out onto the court, Murray spoke about the greatest moments of his career, including his two wins at Wimbledon.
Speaking about his loss to Federer in 2012, he said: “It’s always really difficult to speak after a loss, particularly after a Grand Slam final and being at Wimbledon. That’s the closest I had been and it was obviously difficult. It was quite an important moment in my career.
“I’m not saying I’m the most outgoing or bubbly personality, but I think people probably saw how much I cared about the sport for the first time maybe. Obviously it was an important match and important moment in my career.”
He then described winning two gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games as “the biggest week of my life”. He said: “To turn that around after losing in the final of Wimbledon and then to come here and play, it was one of my favourite days I’ve ever had, certainly as an athlete.
“To play in a home Olympic Games at Wimbledon, to beat Roger for once in a big match was nice and then I had a great run in the mixed doubles with Laura Robson as well so yeah, it was an amazing week for me.”
After looking back on his best moments, he moved on talking about what the future might hold, mentioning coaching and spending more time with his four children, as well as thanking his family and support team. It was then that he choked up, admitting how hard it had been for everyone due to the injuries he’s sustained.
“Mum and dad have been amazing support from when we were little, allowing us to go and pursue our dreams,” he said of his parents, Judie and Will. He then went on to speak about his wife Kim, who he described as “the best mum”.
Summing up on his reluctant decision to retire, he said: “I would love to keep playing but I can’t physically it’s too tough. All the injuries have added up.
“I want to play forever, I love the sport. It’s given me so much, taught me loads of lessons over the years that I can use in the rest of my life. I don’t want to stop, so it’s hard.”
Murray left the court to a standing ovation. He was followed by his brother Jamie and, later the victorious two players Peers and Hijikata.
