Andy Murray unlikely to walk away while his fire still burns so brightly | Kevin Mitchell

Former Wimbledon champion’s performance in defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas shows that his strength and desire remain

Is he done? The headlines say, maybe; history and sentiment say, don’t bet on it. From this keyboard, however, It is inconceivable that Andy Murray will walk away from tennis while there is strength in his 36-year-old legs, power in his whirring racket and the odd tear in his reddened eyes.

If there is a single compelling argument for the best player these islands have produced since Fred Perry to continue into the gloaming of his illustrious career it surely lies in Murray’s almost perverse compulsion to defy all odds, predictions and whispers in tournament watering holes. He has been doing it at least since 2019, when his body started to fall apart. And, just as important, he is probably dreading the day when it is all over.