This is the heart-warming moment Team GB athletes formed a guard of honour for Andy Murray as he returned to the Olympic lodgings following his final ever tennis match.
The scotsman’s grandparents also paid tribute to their grandson saying watching him play ‘kept them going for decades.’
Andy Murray and tennis partner Dan Evans were defeated by the American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the tennis quarter finals at the Paris Olympics – losing in straight sets.
The sad defeat marks the end of Murray’s professional career after he had previously announced the Olympics would be his last major tournament.
Murray’s remarkable career led him to become one of the most successful British tennis players ever – having become the highest ranked player in the world for a time in November 2016.
His victories included two Olympic gold medals in London 2012 and Rio 2016. As well as two Wimbledon championships in 2013 and 2016 and a US Open trophy in 2012.
Unsurprisingly, Team GB decided to give Murray the send-off he deserved. In a video shared by STV Murray was filmed returning to the Olympic village where he received a guard of honour from the British olympians.
He was then met in the foyer by his fellow scotsman and Olympic hero Chris Hoy where the duo shared a laugh.
Speaking to LBC, Murray’s grandparents said they were ‘sad and happy’ to see their grandson retire from tennis.
His grandmother Shirley said: ‘We’re sad and happy at the same time. We knew this was going to be the end of his career and I was pleased he wasn’t going to put his body through it anymore.
‘He wasn’t able to compete like he wanted to compete.’
Shirley also praised Murray for reviving the tennis club in Dunblane – the Scottish town where Murray grew up. She said: ‘When we came to Dunblane the tennis club was more or less defunct.
Now it is thriving with summer camps and many tennis courts. It’s great to see it and one of the things we’re particularly proud of Andy for is putting Dunblane on the map for the right reasons after the terrible tragedy in 1996.’
Here Shirley is referring to the 1996 Dunblane massacre where a shooter entered the local primary school and shot and killed 16 children and a teacher, before turning the gun on himself. Murray was a pupil in the school at the time of the tragedy.
Tributes have poured in for Murray since last night’s game. Keir Starmer described him as a true British great.’
Murray’s former tennis rival Novak Djokovic, who Murray defeated to take the first of his first two Wimbledon titles in 2013, said of him: ‘He has been an incredible competitor out on the court. One of the greatest warriors tennis has seen.
‘I have been inspired by him, even though we are the same age. The longest rivalry I have is with him because we played the first time when we were 11 years old in France.’
Meanwhile, Murray’s mother – Judy Murray – humorously tweeted while watching his final match: ‘Never liked tennis anyway.’
In his final press conference last night, the 37-year-old said he was ‘happy to be leaving tennis ‘on my terms.’
He said: ‘I’m genuinely happy now with how it’s finished. I’m glad to come out here to the Olympics and finish on my terms because a few months ago, I was told that with the back issues I had I would not be playing here at the Olympics.
‘But I have made amazing memories.’