good morning!

Not many tennis players have ever fought the way Andy Murray has.

And just weeks after having surgery, he competed in possibly his farewell match at Wimbledon on Thursday with his brother Jamie.

Let’s briefly look at his career. He participated in an error of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal - the three greatest tennis players of all time. And he made the Big 3 a Big 4.

I think what makes his career so admirable is that, before all his successes, he faced some truly difficult moments. He was 0-5 in major finals before winning the 2012 US Open, including a heartbreaking defeat to Roger Federer that year.

And then, in 2013, he ended the 77-year wait for a British champion to win Wimbledon again. Three years later, he completed his ascent to the top of the tennis summit and became the No. 1 player in the world.

He had so many injuries and surgeries. I can’t remember them all. But man, did he fight.

Watching Federer was like watching an artist at work. To watch Nadal is akin to a gladiator. Djokovic is like a surgeon.

To watch Murray is to watch life unfold itself unfront of you. You see the struggles, the grit, the frustrations. And you also see the determination, the perserverance, the strength and will he used to pull through the toughest of matches.

One of the most incredible of them all came in 2008.

Down 2-0, Murray summoned a comeback of epic proportions on Centre Court. With the comeback just barely underway, Murray hit one of the greatest passing shots I have ever seen, and it’s probably the point I remember his career most by.——

As his injuries picked up over the years, you could see he couldn’t move quite the way he did. And it wasn’t until watching him today that I realised he switched over from Head to Yonex.

But he always fought.

Even in 2019 it was thought that would be his last year. The Australian Open had so much weight behind it because we thought he would retire. (How could we not, when he had a press conference like this?)

He pushed 22 seed Roberto Bautista Agut to five sets (a huge feat), but couldn’t pull off the win.

Four years later, Murray defeated Matteo Berretini in five sets in the first round. In the second, he defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6 6-7 7-6 6-3 7-5 in 5 hours and 45 minutes. It was the 11th time he won a match after being two sets down.

And you would just think, ‘How the hell can this guy do that?’ How can someone come back from all those injuries, all those surgeries, and well past his physical prime, able to pull off two five-set wins against players much younger than him?

He always fought.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Gotta Believe, by Donavon Frankenreiter

And now for your links:

Charlie Eccleshare ($$): Andy Murray says Wimbledon farewell with Centre Court ceremony and tributes

The Athletic ($$): Inside Archie gray’s transfer to Tottenham

Manchester United trigger one-year extension on Erik Ten Hag’s contract