Does Andy Murray’s retirement signal the beginning of the end of the Big Four?

Andy Murray — in an emotional press conference in Melbourne — announced that he will retire this year. He is the first of the Big Four to go, in this Golden Era of men’s tennis.

It was heartbreaking to watch Andy Murray describe the pain and frustration he has been through in his distressing attempt to cement a comeback after hip surgery last January. The 31-year-old has been battling back since 2017, entering competitive tennis again just last June, with mixed results at best. This has come at a health cost for the two-time Gold medalist.

Unbearable pain

“I’ve been in a lot of pain for about 20 months now. I’ve pretty much done everything I could to try and get my hip feeling better and it hasn’t helped loads,” said the two-time Wimbledon champion, according to the BBC. “I’m in a better place than I was six months ago but I’m still in a lot of pain. I can still play to a level, but not a level I have played at.”

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The three-time grand slam champion was hoping that a year after surgery, he would be playing pain-free by now. Murray is now considering a more fundamental, second surgery. This time, however, it won’t be with the goal of launching a competitive sport comeback.

“I have the option of another operation which is a little bit more severe — and involves having my hip resurfaced — which would allow me to have a better quality of life and be free of pain,” said an emotionally raw Murray. “That’s something I’m seriously considering now. Some athletes have had it and gone back to competing but there’s no guarantee of that. If I had it, it would be to have a better quality of life.

“There’s little things like day-to-day which are also a struggle. It would be nice to do them without any pain,” said the former world No. 1, who had slipped to No. 230 since his physical condition started deteriorating in 2017.

The decision to retire

Murray had said that the decision to retire had been made during training for the tennis season in December.

“I spoke to my team, and I told them, ‘I cannot keep doing this,’” Murray said according to The NY Times. “I needed to have an endpoint because I was sort of playing with no idea when the pain was going to stop. I felt like making that decision.”

Hoping to make it to Wimbledon, but no guarantees

The Scotsman would like to stretch out his time on the Tour until Wimbledon, the perfect setting for the British (and worldwide) public to say goodbye to their beloved athlete.

“Wimbledon is where I would like to stop playing but I’m not certain I’ll be able to do that,” said Murray, whose voice kept cracking during a grim press conference. “I’m not certain I can play through the pain for another four or five months.”

“I’m going to play [in Australia]. I can still play to a level — not a level I’m happy playing at,” Murray continued, who had suffered through a demoralizing practice session with Novak Djokovic on the day before, 6-1, 4-1. “But also, it’s not just that. The pain is too much really.”

His incredible legacy

Murray won his first grand slam at the U.S. Open in 2012, but followed that up by becoming the first British man in 77 years to win his first Wimbledon on home turf at the All-England Club. He repeated the feat in 2016, Murray’s stupendous year.

The hard-fighting Scot also became the only male tennis player to win back-to-back Gold medals, beating first Roger Federer in 2012, and then Juan Martin del Potro in Rio.

Murray was knighted that same year, after having been honored with an OBE in 2012. He also helped his country achieve the 2015 Davis Cup title, alongside his tennis-playing brother, Jamie.

The Golden Era

Long considered part of the Big Four, Murray suffered physically much worse than the other three, Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. He practically broke his body by the end of his incredible run in 2016 that saw him win the last of his 14 Masters titles, Gold Medal, Wimbledon, and get to world No. 1 after seven years as No. 2. It was the year of Murray.

But trying to outdo the high-achieving Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic took its toll. Murray’s physicality caught up with him, while those three launched their own comebacks and rallied to add to their achievement haul.

Dealing with the debilitating injury has been wearisome.

“I have talked a lot, way too much, about my hip for 18 months,” Murray said in the presser. “It’s a daily thing. It isn’t just people I work with that ask me; it’s everyone. So everyone I bump into, that is all I talk about it. It’s pretty draining.”

Murray played during the Golden Age of tennis. The Big Four have won 54 of the last 64 grand slams since 2003. Of those four titans, Murray is the only one to retain two Gold medals. The British player will be retiring at age 31-32, depending on how far he can play through the pain this year. Nadal is 32. Djokovic is 31, and the defending AO champion Federer is a mystifying 37. Let’s be realistic, most of their best playing days are behind them. They will all likely retire in the next few years.

Listening to Murray’s heartbreaking press conference, one can’t help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end of this incredible era in tennis.

But make no mistake, the end will come. And likely sooner than we expect. There have been many great tennis players, but I think few can argue that having four of the caliber of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray in the same time is likely not be repeated. These are the kinds of players that happen once a century. Only Rod Laver rivals their greatness. To witness four such incredible players compete in the same era has perhaps been the greatest privilege in men’s tennis history.

Murray’s final match?

Andy Murray will retire having collected $165 million in prize money, appearance fees, and endorsements, 45 ATP titles, in addition to his majors, Davis Cup, and Gold medals.

Andy Murray will face No. 22 Roberto Batista Agut on Monday. Depending on how he fares in that first round match, his retirement could come that devastatingly soon. Or perhaps he could will himself — as he’s done so many times in the past — to stretch his farewell to the sacred ground of Wimbledon.

Only Andy Murray knows when he needs to leave the game. And when we can then shed our own tears.

The Australian Open kicks off on Jan. 14.

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