A standing ovation greeted Andy Murray and his doubles partner, older brother Jamie, when they walked out onto the Centre Court grass, for the first stop on the two-time Wimbledon singles champion’s farewell to the tournament that has meant so much to him.
It was the first men’s doubles opening-round match to be played on the main show court since 1995 but it was not the start of fairytale, rather the end of one, as the Murrays lost 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Aussie pair Rinky Hijikata and John Peers.
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Clearly impacted by back pain, Murray had to rely on his service game as he battled through the straight-sets defeat that potentially leaves him with one match left to play at the tournament.
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Rinky Hijikata and John Peers of Australia shake hands with Andy Murray and Jamie Murray. Getty
Murray, 37, has said he will head into retirement after playing at the All England Club, where he is also entered in mixed doubles with 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, and the Paris Olympics, which begin later this month.
Murray occasionally fidgeted with his back and looked a tad uncomfortable, only natural for someone who had surgery to remove a cyst from his spine less than two weeks ago, forcing him to withdraw from singles.
Jamie Murray and Andy Murray embrace. Getty
This was the first time the two Murray siblings had played together at the All England Club. Their mother, Judy, who taught both boys tennis, was in a guest box, sitting with Andy’s wife, Kim, and two of their four children.
The former Wimbledon winner will play mixed doubles. Getty
Asked about his feelings sharing the court with his brother, Andy told the BBC:
“Yeah it was obviously really special. We never got the chance to do it before. There was a chance this year.
“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.”
Fans give Murray a standing ovation. Getty
Murray became a superstar in these parts by winning Wimbledon in 2013, making him the first British man to triumph in singles at the All England Club in 77 years.
He won the title again in 2016. His other Grand Slam trophy came at the US Open in 2012, the same year he won his first singles gold medal at the London Olympics — the next, at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, made him the only player with two in a row.