Sports

Andy Murray, Wimbledon & the Olympics – four weeks that changed it all

Published

1 week ago

June 26, 2024

Before he was Sir Andrew Murray OBE, world number one, three-time Grand Slam champion, one of the nation’s greatest-ever athletes… he was, to one woman at least, something altogether less celebratory.

In 2006, the football World Cup was taking place at the same time as Wimbledon. A 19-year-old Murray, himself once a promising youth footballer, joked in an interview that he would support “whoever England were playing against”.

It went down like a lead balloon. He was abused in the comments of a blog he wrote on his website and even his wristbands, decorated with the Scottish saltire, attracted scrutiny.

Murray had become a lightning rod, attracting ire in an edgy Anglo-Scottish atmosphere. The previous month, the then Scottish First Minister had been criticised for saying he would not be supporting England.

But the reaction to Murray’s joke was on a far larger scale.

In the aftermath, Murray, playing only his second Wimbledon, walked past a spectator on the way to his match. He overheard her telling a friend, in expletive-laden and anti-Scottish language, that she had just spotted him.

“I was like, What? I was 19. This is my home tournament. Why is this happening?” Murray remembered in a 2017 interview., external

“I was still a kid and I was getting things sent to my locker saying things like: ‘I hope you lose every tennis match for the rest of your life.'”

By the time 2012 rolled around, Murray had already broken new ground.

He had reached the US Open final in 2008, becoming the first British man to make a major final since Greg Rusedski in New York 11 years earlier.

Two further Slam final appearances followed – the Australian Open in 2010 and 2011 – but Britain was still searching for a first male major singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

But the ambivalence of some of the general public remained.

As the Twitter joke went, Murray was British when he won and Scottish when he lost.

It sometimes seemed there was something inordinate about Murray – his outspokenness was loved to a certain point, his on-court anger amusing when he was winning but derided when he was losing.

At this point, Murray was a nascent member of the Big Four. Roger Federer was transcendent, described as a ‘god’, especially at Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal had the grit, the determination, the never-say-die attitude.

Novak Djokovic, another relative newcomer trying to upset their duopoly, defied belief, limbs bending every which way, equipped with an endurance level and mental strength few can match.

But Murray? Murray was the most human. A man who sometimes looked as if he actively hated the sport of tennis. No-one could ever accuse Murray of hiding his emotions. And that rubbed up some the wrong way.

He was accused of being whingey, of being anti-English, of being boring, when really he was doing what we all do – getting frustrated about the job and attempting to have a laugh along with it.

“I think it’s very difficult for any young player who is thrust into the spotlight to get to grips or feel comfortable with facing and understanding the media,” said his mum Judy, speaking on Andy Murray: Will to Win, a recent BBC Sport documentary.

“One of the things in tennis is that players have to face the media after every match whether they win or lose. Of course, it’s a lot easier to face the media when you’re winning.

“As an 18-year-old he’d had a little bit of media training but nothing really prepares you for suddenly being in front of a room of about 300 people.

“I think his reaction to anything is to be truthful and say what you’re thinking. In years to come, you will become much more practised.”

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Sports

Erik ten Hag signs new Manchester United deal until 2026

Published

23 mins ago

July 4, 2024

worlddailyinfo

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has signed a contract extension with the club until 2026.

The Dutchman’s previous deal, which he signed when he was appointed in 2022, was due to expire in 2025.

Ten Hag, who joined United from Ajax, has won two trophies in two years at Old Trafford.

“I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together,” said the 54-year-old.

“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.”

Ten Hag stressed “we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead”.

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Sports

Football gossip: Arsenal have Riccardo Calafiori bid rejected

Published

5 hours ago

July 4, 2024

worlddailyinfo

Barcelona want to sign Spain forward Dani Olmo, 26, from RB Leipzig and are trying to agree a payment plan to meet his 60m euro (£51m) release clause. (90 Min), external

Brazilian winger Willian has rejected the offer of a new contract at Fulham. Clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey are interested in the 35-year-old. (Mail), external

Paris St-Germain midfielder Ethan Mbappe, brother of France striker Kylian, is set sign a long-term deal at Lille. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Manchester United are keen on re-signing Tottenham’s 27-year-old Spain defender Sergio Reguilon, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Old Trafford (AS – in Spanish), external

Everton are interested in 22-year-old Cameroon defender Jackson Tchatchoua, whose club Hellas Verona want 8m euros (£7m). (TuttoMercatoWeb – in Italian), external

Atalanta are set to sign Italy midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, 25, on loan from Galatasaray with an obligation to buy. (Gazzetta dello Sport), external

Barcelona would be willing to sell Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo and Brazil winger Raphinha this summer in order to sign Athletic Bilbao’s 21-year-old Spain forward Nico Williams. (SportsMole), external

Chelsea are keen on Nottingham Forest’s 21-year-old Brazilian defender Murillo but think his £60m price tag is too high. (Football London), external

AC Milan’s 26-year-old France defender Theo Hernandez is closing in on a £51m move to Manchester City. (Manchester Evening News), external

Chelsea’s England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, is reluctant to relocate to the Midlands to join Aston Villa as he waits on a potential new contract at Stamford Bridge. (Telegraph – subscription), external

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Sports

Mark Cavendish earns Tour de France immortality with 35th stage win

Published

11 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Steven Sutcliffe

Since drawing level with Belgian legend Merckx in 2021, Cavendish has had to deal with a knifepoint robbery and the uncertainty of finding a new team at the age of 37.

There was also the bitter disappointment of leaving the Tour with a broken collarbone 12 months ago, while injuries and depression contributed to him not winning once during 2019 and 2020.

Yet here he is in his 15th Tour, displaying the confidence of the rider who was virtually impossible to beat between 2008 and 2012 when he claimed 23 stage wins, including four on the Champs-Elysees.

“Without the Tour de France cycling does not exist,” Cavendish said in his 2023 Netflix documentary, Mark Cavendish: Never Enough.

With 35 victories out of 215 completed stages he also has a strike rate of almost one in six.

It is a remarkable feat for a rider who has been described as having a sharp tongue and fiery temper by former team-mates – and as a “pain in the ass” by the straight-talking Vasilis Anastopoulos, who worked with Cavendish at Quick Step and is now head of performance at the Manxman’s current Astana Qazaqstan team.

The Greek coach has been credited by Cavendish for helping rejuvenate his career during their time together at the Belgian Quick Step team, and for playing a pivotal role in his 2021 and 2022 success at both the Tour and Giro d’Italia.

Cavendish’s former lead-out man Mark Renshaw is now Astana’s sporting director.

“He’s amazing. He’s just like a fine wine who gets better and better,” Renshaw said of the sprinter.

“The team had so much confidence in him and they had that all year. We’ve changed the team to look after him and he has been mega committed.

“I don’t know how many days he’s been with his family but this year it has not been many and that is the type of commitment you need.”

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