Andy Murray doesn’t have a clear idea of what he wants to do when the curtain closes on his illustrious tennis career after his involvement at the 2024 Olympics. But, with the distraction of professional tennis in the rear mirror, the British sporting icon has hinted that he is aiming to progress his golf career.
Murray will savour his swansong on the Roland Garros court this summer as he prepares to represent Team GB in the Paris Games.
The 37-year-old’s Olympic prowess speaks for itself, winning back-to-back gold medals in the men’s singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Now, an emotional final farewell awaits in the French capital, where he will enter the men’s doubles alongside British No. 3 Dan Evans.
But what next? Where will Murray go once his final point plays out – be it for elimination or glory? The great man himself couldn’t provide a definitive answer on Wednesday.
“I don’t know exactly what the rest of my life will look like, but I will still stay in touch with the sport,” Murray explained during an interview in the Olympic Village.
“I don’t see that ever changing. My love for [tennis] won’t go away, so I’ll definitely see myself staying involved.
”Initially, I want to be at home with my family. I want to spend a lot of time with my kids and my wife, so I won’t be on the road much, I know that.”
Once his ambitions in one sport expire, though, those in another emerge. Murray is a keen golfer, and he plans to invest time in improving on the fairway.
He continued: “I’ll play a lot of golf – I want to become a scratch golfer. I’ve always loved playing golf, but because of the issues with my back, I haven’t played for five or six years.
“I would also love to be part of the next Olympics in some capacity, but I don’t have any clear plans on what it is I’m going to do from a work perspective.”
He would perhaps struggle to match his standard on the tennis court, but becoming a scratch golfer – a player who shoots par or better on a consistent basis – is no mean feat.
“I don’t see myself playing any of the invitational things or those sort of events,” Murray added when asked about a potential future tennis return.
“I expect I’ll still hit some balls and stuff, but when I play sport, I like to compete – whether that’s in cards, golf or whatever. I want to be competitive. I don’t want to just have a hit and giggle.
“I know it’s the right time to stop – I didn’t feel that way a few months ago when I thought this is when I was going to stop but I didn’t really want to, whereas now I want to – and I know that it’s the right time for me, so I feel good about it.”