Ever since he first stepped on court nearly 20 years ago, Andy Murray has wowed the Wimbledon crowd with some jaw-dropping tennis.
But at the age of 37, the fiery Scot is saying goodbye to SW19, having pulled out of the men’s singles at the last minute this year due to injury.
The two-time Wimbledon champion will play at the Paris Olympics later this summer before hanging up his racket for good.
Now, with help from technology partner IBM, MailOnline has trawled through 19 years of data to pick out the highlights from Murray’s Wimbledon singles career.
From his longest rally to his biggest win and fastest serve, interactive charts reveal the memorable moments from his time at the world’s biggest tennis tournament.
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Andy Murray had intended to take part in the singles tournament in Wimbledon 2024 but had to pull out last minute due to injury. Here, the legend is visibly emotional as the crowd pays a tribute on Centre Court following his men’s doubles defeat on July 4, 2024
FIRST MATCH
As an 18-year-old, Andy Murray – ranked 312 in the world – received a wildcard for Wimbledon in 2005.
On Court 2, he secured a confident 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over Switzerland’s George Bastl on June 21 – both his first Wimbledon win and his first grand slam win.
Following the match, the boy from Dunblane said: ‘I wasn’t really expecting to win – obviously he’s much better than me.’
Murray went on to beat Czech Radek Stepanek in straight sets in the second round on Court 1.
But he lost to David Nalbandian in the third in a five set thriller – his first match on Centre Court.
However, British tennis fans were hooked and eagerly awaited his return the following year.
Murray in action against George Bastl of Switzerland during the first round of the Wimbledon, June 21, 2005 – his first men’s singles match at SW19
In all, Murray played 74 singles matches at Wimbledon – 66 on Centre Court (left), seven on Court 1 (right) and one on Court 2
FASTEST SERVE
Murray struck his fastest serve at Wimbledon on June 22, 2010 during his first round match win against Jan Hajek (Czech Republic).
The rocketing shot travelled at a whopping 137mph – which is faster than National Rail trains in the UK.
Murray reached the semi-final that year but was knocked out by eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
However, Murray’s fastest serve at Wimbledon is nowhere near the fastest recorded serve in professional tennis.
That record goes to Australia’s Sam Groth, who hit a 163.7mph ace at the 2012 Busan Open in South Korea.
Meanwhile, the fastest serve at Wimbledon is a record that’s just been set at this year’s tournament.
In his second round match on July 4, the USA’s Ben Shelton hit the new record-breaking fastest serve – clocking in at 153mph.
Murray in action during his first round match against Jan Hajek of Czech Republic at Wimbledon, June 22, 2010
Murray’s win against Blaz Rola of Slovenia in 2014 (pictured) was his biggest Wimbledon win and the shortest Wimbledon singles match he ever played
BIGGEST WIN
Murray’s biggest win at Wimbledon came on June 25, 2014 – a second round match on Court 1 against world number 92 Blaž Rola (Slovenia).
The Scot – at the time the defending champion – lost just two games in the whole match to win 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour and 24 minutes.
It was also the shortest Wimbledon singles match he ever played.
Post-match Murray said: ‘You try to finish matches as quickly as you can. If you have the momentum with you and you’re playing well, that’s what you need to try to do.’
But he eventually crashed out in the quarter finals to Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, who himself was beaten by that year’s champion – you guessed it! – Novak Djokovic.
HEAVIEST DEFEAT
Murray missed out on Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019 due to career-threatening injuries, while the tournament was not held at all in 2020 due to Covid.
But after a four-year absence from SW19, he made his comeback in 2021, starting brightly with wins in the first and second rounds.
Andy Murray shakes hands after his record defeat to Denis Shapovalov during day five of Wimbledon, July 2 2021
But in his third round match against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov on July 2 that year he suffered his heaviest Wimbledon defeat.
Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 22, beat the 34-year-old Murray 4-6, 2-6, 2-6 – a match lasting two hours and 16 minutes.
Murray said afterwards: ‘I’m going to put that much effort in, I want to be performing better than I did here, even though there were some really great moments.’
LONGEST RALLY
Murray’s longest rally at Wimbledon occurred during his Championship-winning match against Djokovic, July 7, 2013.
In the second point of the second game of the second set, they hit 32 shots over the net.
Murray lost the point but ultimately won the match in straight sets – a redemption of sorts having lost to Roger Federer in the final the prior year.
Again, 32 shots is far from the longest rally in professional tennis – not by a long chalk.
At a tournament in Richmond, Virginia in October 1984, Jean Hepner and Vicky Nelson passed the ball over the net 643 times – a rally lasting an astonishing 29 minutes.
Murray with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy following his victory in the final against Novak Djokovic, July 7, 2013. The boy from Dunblane will play at the Paris Olympics later this summer before hanging up his racket for good
LONGEST MATCH
On July 6 last year, two days after Murray beat fellow Brit Ryan Peniston, the Scot faced Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.
It was not only his last Wimbledon singles match, but his longest.
At 10:38pm, play was controversially suspended after three sets due to Wimbledon’s curfew before restarting the following day.
Ultimately, Tsitsipas beat Murray 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted a whopping four hours and 40 minutes.
Murray told the press afterwards: ‘I’m obviously very disappointed just now… obviously you never know how many opportunities you’re going to get to play here.’
Famously, Wimbledon hosted the longest tennis match in history – 11 hours and 5 minutes, contested over three days between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in 2010.
Murray’s last Wimbledon singles match: Stefanos Tsitsipas hugs him after the Greek finally won the match, which was played over two days
In all, Murray played 74 singles matches at Wimbledon – 66 on Centre Court, seven on Court 1 and one on Court 2.
At the age of 37, he intended to play at Wimbledon 2024, but pulled out at the last minute as he was unable to sufficiently recover from back surgery.
He joined his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles before receiving an ovation from the Wimbledon crowd who bid him a fond farewell on Centre Court, prior to his retirement this summer.
Murray was due to play in the mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu – but the 21-year-old dramatically pulled out to avoid risking a fitness scare prior to her singles match, leaving Andy ‘devastated’.
But ultimately nothing can put a damper on Andy Murray’s remarkable career that includes two Wimbledon titles, a US Open title and two Olympic gold medals.
