Murray hailed 'greatest sportsman' as career ends with Olympic exit

Sir Andy Murray has been hailed as Scotland's "greatest ever sportsman", as the three-time Grand Slam winner's career came to an end at the Paris Olympics.

Tributes poured in from the world of sport and beyond, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney hailed the tennis star.

Murray and partner Dan Evans were defeated in the quarter-finals of the men's doubles, losing in straight sets to the American duo Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.

In a glittering career he won Wimbledon twice - in 2013 and 2016 - as well as the US Open in 2012 and two Olympic gold medals in London 2012 and Rio 2016.

He also played a key part in helping Great Britain win the Davis Cup in 2015 and spent 41 weeks at the top of the tennis rankings as world number one.

The 37-year-old announced prior to the Olympics that it would be his final tournament.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on social media that Sir Andy had provided "two decades of phenomenal entertainment and sportsmanship."

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney also paid his respects to Dunblane-born Murray, who has struggled with injury problems in recent years.

He said: "Sir Andy Murray is Scotland’s greatest ever sportsman, and his achievements during one of the toughest eras in tennis history will mark him down as a true sporting legend.

“The whole of Scotland is so proud of Sir Andy and while we are disappointed that we will no longer get to see him compete with his trademark fighting spirit, we thank him for the incredible memories he gave us over so many years.”

The Scotland National Football Team wrote on X: "Thanks for the memories, Andy Murray. All the best in retirement - you're welcome at Hampden Park any time."

Murray's mum, Judy Murray, shared a photo of her son at the age of five during his first tennis match.

Murray and Evans had already been part of two dramatic encounters n Paris, saving five match points in the first round tie against Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori before winning, then defeating Belgian pair Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in another three set encounter.

However Fritz and Paul - the third seeds in the draw - proved too tough to overcome.

Speaking after the defeat to the BBC, Murray called it a "great run" and said he had been "ready" for retirement for the past few months.

He added he was looking forward to spending time with his family, while he drily posted a message on social media account X that simply read "Never even liked tennis anyway".

Olympic gold medal cyclist Victoria Pendleton told BBC Radio 5 Live that Murray had been "such a hero" during his career.

She added: "I think he's given so much to British sport and the Olympics indeed. I've been lucky enough to meet Andy on a few occasions and he has always been humble, driven and kind and that speaks volumes.

"His legacy is undoubtedly enormous in the wake of him retiring from sport."

Tennis Scotland chief executive Blane Dodds said that Murray's play had "inspired a generation with his excellence on court, extraordinary work ethic and resolve during difficult moments".

He added: “His successes have motivated many people to get involved in helping to grow and develop tennis in Scotland, whether that’s within Tennis Scotland or as a coach, official, volunteer or young player."

Sportscotland chief executive Forbes Dunlop said the tennis star's impact on Scottish sport as as whole "can't be measured".

He stated: "His dedication, performances and achievements mean he will rightly go down in history as one of Scotland’s greatest ever athletes."

After years of success Sir Andy's career was feared to be over in 2019, when a metal cap was inserted into his hip.

However, he resumed his career later that year, before an emotional farewell at Wimbledon in July and his Olympics bow.