Retired ATP star says Andy Murray ‘ruined’ his career ahead of his final matches at the Olympics

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Andy Murray is looking to win a historic third Olympic Gold medal at his fifth Olympic games in Paris.

The Olympics has long-been a stern test for some of the sports greatest ever players, with Novak Djokovic still pining for the elusive gold medal.

With the number one seed Jannik Sinner withdrawing from the Olympics through illness, the stage is set for a repeat of this year’s Wimbledon final with the new top two seeds, Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz looking to grab glory in Paris.

With the Serb likely playing his final Olympics, he joins former Olympic champions Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal as some of the sport’s biggest names departing the games.

After an emotional return to Wimbledon, the ailing Murray was forced to withdraw from the singles through injury with the Scot left heartbroken not to be able to put on one last show at his home slam.

How did Andy Murray ruin a fellow ATP player’s career?

With his three grand slam titles and unwavering commitment to the sport, Murray retires from the sport as a true champion.

Frenchman and former world number six Gilles Simon however revealed in stark terms, just how difficult Murray was to play against.

He told L’Equipe: “He’s the guy who ruined my career the most. I lost my first Masters 1000 final against him (Madrid in 2008), a quarter-final in Melbourne in 2013, a Davis Cup semi-final at Queen’s (in 2015).

“He became the player I wanted to beat the most. I studied him a lot in the field. Because he bothered me too much, in terms of his game but also in his attitude. We got to annoy each other, we played matches where we told each other about our lives!

“He was ready to die on the court. He is an ultra-competitor, perhaps even more than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. He was ready to do anything to win, whatever the way, good or bad.”

Given the consistent fight Murray has always offered during his injury-hampered career, Simon’s testimony rings completely true, with Murray competing at the top level during one of the sport’s greatest era’s.

It was however Simon who got the last laugh, beating Murray in their final ever match-up at the 2022 Paris Masters.

The next Olympics will feature none of the ‘big four’

Tennis fans have been blessed by the 69 major titles Federer (20), Nadal (22), Djokovic (24), and Murray (3) have swept up over the last two decades.

With Federer’s retirement in 2022, Paris is likely the very final time we will see any of the ‘big four’ on the Olympic stage.

Olympic gold has evaded both Federer and Djokovic, with the latter openly admitting how desperate he is for glory in Paris, after semi-final defeat to Alexander Zverev in Tokyo.

With Murray having secured consecutive Olympic titles in London and Rio de Janeiro, the Team GB star arguably has the most glittering Olympic legacy out of these all-time greats.