Laura Robson gives her reaction to Andy Murray retiring from professional tennis at the Paris Olympics and reflects on the silver medal she won alongside the British legend at London 2012…
I think it tells you a lot about Andy that he wants to retire at the Olympics. He had a really lovely ceremony at Wimbledon, but it was just him out there, whereas he’s always loved being part of a group environment and thrives in a team.
You can see that from the way he is soaking up being in the Olympic village this week. He’s taking pictures with Carlos Alcaraz; he’s posing with Neal Skupski around the village. He wanted this fifth Olympics so badly.
So few people can say they’ve done that. It’s an incredible achievement to make 20 years’ worth of Olympics – amazing when you think about the longevity.
He might not have the Centre Court send-off he had at Wimbledon, but it’s going to mean just as much to him.
‘Winning Olympic medal with Murray one of best weeks of my life’
I absolutely loved playing with him at the 2012 Olympics.
He sent me a photo because they set up the team apartment with pictures of all their achievements, and there was one of us with our silver medals.
It feels like a different lifetime, and yet I can remember so many details. The support we had all week, how seriously he took it, how he put just as much focus on the doubles as he did in the singles.
I remember him coming off the court after beating Roger Federer, having won the singles gold medal, and him saying he needed to get fuel in, have 20 minutes of recovery, and we were back out there an hour later for the next final.
It was so much fun. I still think about it as one of the best weeks of my life.
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Team GB chef de mission Mark England pays tribute to Murray’s Olympic legacy
‘Murray would make an unbelievable coach’
Andy would make an unbelievable coach, but whether he wants to do it is another story because you’ve got to be away from home more than you’d like – and it feels like at this stage he’s earned some quality time in the house!
The guy has an incredible awareness of how to play tennis. The amount of work he’s done in his career of improving every single shot by the smallest margins – the tiny little things you don’t notice if you haven’t been laser focused.
It would be great to see Andy help Jack Draper or get on court with the junior Brits. Any young player would jump at the chance to have him onside with his experience, not just on the tactical side but on the mental side as well.
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A look back at the highs and lows of Murray’s incredible tennis career
He knows how to win big matches and what changes there are in pressure during the second week of a Grand Slam. He knows the different preparations you can do mentally before a big final.
It’s a no-brainer. From any British player’s perspective, junior or veteran, it would probably be an instant yes. I’m sure being all together this week and learning from him will lift the team, like it did for me in 2012.
What is the tennis format at the Olympics?
The WTA and ATP format that’s seen outside of Grand Slams is implemented at the Olympics.
Singles matches are best-of-three sets, while doubles are also best-of-three sets but the final set is just a tie-break, which is first to 10 points.
- Women’s singles: Saturday July 27 – Saturday August 3
- Men’s singles: Saturday July 27 – Sunday August 4
- Women’s doubles: Saturday July 27 – Sunday August 3
- Men’s doubles: Saturday July 27 – Saturday August 4
- Mixed doubles: Monday July 29 – Friday August 2
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
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Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
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- Atlanta Open (ATP 250) – 22-28 July
- Austrian Open (ATP 250) – 22-28 July
- Croatia Open (ATP 250) – 22-28 July
- Prague Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July
- Iasi Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July
- Umag Open (ATP 250) 21-26 July
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