Andy Murrayone of the four members of the racket’s ‘Big Four’, along with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, keep playing and keep winning. With the merit of doing so with a metal hip since 2019 and systematically limping, the Scot raised the Queen’s stands on Tuesday to pass the round against Alexei Popyrin, 6-3, 3-6 and 6-3. Now another Australian awaits him: Jordan Thompson.
It was not just another victory for Murray because he added victory 739 in 1,000 games. “I didn’t know it was my 1,000th match on the circuit until my mother told me before leaving,” the 37-year-old tennis player confessed in conclusion.
He is only the fifth active tennis player to reach the mark after Djokovic, Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and Richard Gasquet. Verdasco, without going any further, has not made his retirement official, but he was already serving in the British tournament as Alejandro Davidovich’s coach.
Active tennis players with 1,000 matches
Novak Djokovic 1.324
Rafael Nadal 1,300
Fernando Verdasco 1,006
Richard Gasquet 1.004
Andy Murray 1.000
Andy, the record-breaking man on the Queen’s lawn, not in vain he won five editions, is living his last days as a racket professional. He plans to say goodbye after the 2024 Paris Games.
He is the only one who has been able to chain two gold medals, in London 2012 and Rio, in 2016. “Surely, he won’t play again after the summer,” he says. Murray has received an invitation from the International Tennis Federation to be on the ground at Roland Garros from July 27 to August 4.
