Andy Murray was reduced to tears after making Olympic history in Rio that not even Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal managed
Sir Andy Murray’s upcoming Olympic campaign promises to be emotional, one way or the other.
The Brit recently announced that the Paris Games will be his final tournament before he retires from tennis, and the summer event is certainly one which has moved him in the past.
At the 2016 Rio Games, Murray made history when he became the first player to successfully defend an Olympics singles title, having won gold four years previously on home turf at London 2012.
The Scot beat Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro to glory in a brutal four-set battle which lasted four hours and two minutes, winning 7-5 4-6 6-2 7-5.
And Murray was visibly overwhelmed immediately after sealing match point, his eyes welling up as the enormity of his achievement sunk in.
After sharing a long hug with his opponent at the net, the three-time Grand Slam champion was unable to hold back the tears as he went on to salute the crowd.
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He remained visibly moved when he stepped onto the podium to receive his second Olympic gold medal, which made him the only male singles player in history to complete the feat.
Speaking after the match, Murray admitted that several factors had contributed to the victory being such an emotional one, having been selected as Team GB's flag bearer at the Games' opening ceremony.
He reflected on the success: "It means a lot, getting to carry the flag at the opening ceremony was an amazing experience and I was very honoured. I found that quite emotional.
"I had to regroup and get my mind on the matches so, to finish it with a match like that, obviously I was fairly emotional at the end.
"It's been a build-up of emotions over the last 10 days and [I'm] just very happy that I got over the line tonight. It was one of the hardest matches I've had to play for a big title."
The historic Olympic double in Rio saw Murray follow up his memorable first gold medal at London 2012, where he beat tennis legend Roger Federer in straight sets in front of a raucous home crowd at Wimbledon.
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He would go on to clinch a silver medal in the mixed doubles less than an hour later, as he returned to Centre Court to partner fellow Brit Laura Robson in a narrow loss in the final.
Murray later described the day as one of the best in his illustrious career, placing it above both his first ever Grand Slam title at the 2012 US Open, and his 2013 Wimbledon victory in terms of enjoyment.
He told Team GB's official website in June: “The Olympics in London, the finals day, when we played the singles and the mixed final was definitely one of the best days of my professional life.
“Definitely one of the happiest I've felt, more so than when I won Wimbledon in 2013 or even the US Open."
With retirement now only just around the corner, the 37-year-old will be hoping for a fairytale ending in Team GB colours as he looks to cement his Olympic immortality with a third gold medal in Paris.
Announcing his plans to bid farewell to the sport, Murray wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament.
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“Competing for (Britain) have been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get do it one final time!”
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