Andy Murray: what's next for the British tennis great?
Andy Murray will finally hang up his racket after the Paris Olympics after an extraordinary comeback. What lies ahead for the three-time Grand Slam winner?
Tennis ace Andy Murray has “finally accepted defeat after years of injuries and will hang up his racket” following the Olympics, which started in Paris last week, says Tom Morgan in The Telegraph. Now Murray “faces the question he has dreaded most: what next?”. Coaching is one option, but Murray, 37, has made “no secret of his plans to build a major business portfolio” with his £50.7m in career earnings, and he has steadily been growing his investments in recent years. He already has his own tennis apparel brand, AMC, and his wide-ranging portfolio of business interests encompasses various tech projects, including start-ups Perkbox and WeSwap. The latest accounts for his firm 77 Sports Management show that it is valued at £21.4m, a £900,000 increase on the year before.
But when Murray plays his last shot, there will be tears from fans, says The Scotsman. He is the only man ever to win two Olympic gold medals in the singles and, “most famously, ended the 77-year wait for a British man to win Wimbledon” when he beat Novak Djokovic in 2013. In all, he has won 46 titles. Yet despite the successes, he always came across as humble, decent and thoughtful. Delightfully grumpy too, says Michael Deacon, also in The Telegraph. Murray “is not exactly known for his charisma, repartee and sparkling joie de vivre”. Many English observers have found him “rude and stroppy”. But he’s just Scottish: “Scowling, muttering and making jokes about the England football team are integral aspects of our culture, our history, our national identity”. And it made a nice change from all that English politeness.
“So God bless you, Andy, and thanks for everything… [But] whatever you do, don’t give us a smile.”
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
That seems unlikely as Murray has always seemed to be in pain, says Arabella Byrne in The Spectator. As a survivor of the Dunblane massacre, he has “known agony”. On court, he has often played through painful injuries. In interviews, he could barely conceal the “pain of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders”. And playing in an era dominated by greats such as Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer made every point won “seem like a nail jammed into his chest”. Now, at last, “the pain is over”, and he can put his feet up. He’s not done badly “for someone who always looked like he wanted to be anywhere but the tennis court”.
This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Enjoy exclusive early access to news, opinion and analysis from our team of financial experts with a MoneyWeek subscription.
Sign up to Money Morning
Our team, led by award winning editors, is dedicated to delivering you the top news, analysis, and guides to help you manage your money, grow your investments and build wealth.
Jane writes profiles for MoneyWeek and is city editor of The Week. A former British Society of Magazine Editors editor of the year, she cut her teeth in journalism editing The Daily Telegraph’s Letters page and writing gossip for the London Evening Standard – while contributing to a kaleidoscopic range of business magazines including Personnel Today, Edge, Microscope, Computing, PC Business World, and Business & Finance.
She has edited corporate publications for accountants BDO, business psychologists YSC Consulting, and the law firm Stephenson Harwood – also enjoying a stint as a researcher for the due diligence department of a global risk advisory firm.
Her sole book to date, Stay or Go? (2016), rehearsed the arguments on both sides of the EU referendum.
She lives in north London, has a degree in modern history from Trinity College, Oxford, and is currently learning to play the drums.
-
Apple loses court battle over €13bn tax bill - should you invest?
The case against Apple was brought by the European Commission and ends an eight-year dispute
By Chris Newlands Published
-
“Fast-track justice” goes off the rails: is it time to rethink the system?
Single Justice Procedures, or fast-track justice, designed to deal with minor offences, have become increasingly heavy-handed. Is it time for an overhaul?
By Simon Wilson Published
-
Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes Thailand's youngest-ever PM – will she succeed?
Paetongtarn Shinawatra is joining the family business: both her father and aunt have governed the country. She has promised to “end a cycle of coups”. Can she?
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Bill Gates: from hero to villain and back again
Bill Gates was a tech billionaire at 31. Then he was knocked down for ruthless business practices – and hailed again for his philanthropy. Who is the real Bill Gates?
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Jeff Yass: the poker player betting on Trump
Jeff Yass is a professional gambler who built one of Wall Street’s most powerful trading operations and is backing Donald Trump for president. What’s in it for him?
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Michele Kang: the first tycoon of women’s football
Michele Kang made her fortune in healthcare IT. Then, in 2019, she became interested in football. Her sports empire now consists of clubs around the globe.
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Billionaire entrepreneur Brian Kim arrested over K-pop stock manipulation
Brian Kim caught the wave that propelled Korean pop stars and actors to global stardom. Now accused of financial wrongdoing, he is in for the fight of his life.
By Jane Lewis Last updated
-
How J.D. Vance became Donald Trump's running mate
Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, has a knack for adapting and playing any role to perfection, even as Trump's right-hand man
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Revolut founder Nik Storonsky cashes in – what's next for the fintech billionaire?
Nik Storonsky has shaken up the banking industry with Revolut. He is now preparing a new project that could do the same to the venture capital sector
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Rachel Reeves: Britain’s new iron chancellor
Rachel Reeves enters No. 11 Downing Street with a determination to keep a tight grip on the purse strings. She has the makings of a chancellor of consequence.
By Jane Lewis Published