Andy Murray dismisses calls to become a pundit after he retires

Andy Murray has dismissed suggestions that he could go into punditry after retirement as the tennis legend faces what could be the final months of his career.

The 37-year-old played down the prospect of becoming a talking head when his playing career ends, admitting he ‘didn’t particularly enjoy it’ on his previous attempts and taking a swipe at the role claiming that ‘everyone agrees with each other all the time.’

The two-time Wimbledon champion, who has hopes of going out on a high at the tournament next month, admitted he was ‘not happy’ about the looming spectre of his retirement.

Murray, who also wishes to take part in the tennis at the Paris Olympics this summer – he previously won gold in the men’s singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016 – said he still feels young and quitting the sport would leave him with a massive hole to fill in his life.

The father-of-four has suggested that he could ‘potentially’ go into coaching, with his ambitions not limited to tennis as the sporting star could try his hand in football or golf.

However, a move into punditry like former pro Tim Henman – who Murray succeeded as the top British tennis star of his generation – does not seem to appeal for the Scot.

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Nor does retirement itself, with the three-time Grand Slam champion telling The Sunday Times he is ‘not happy’ about potentially bringing his playing career to a close.

He said that while many people see retirement as a chance to ‘put your feet up and enjoy the rest of your life’, he laments the fact he will have to do it as he still feels young even though his body is beginning to feel the toll of his near-20-year career.

He told the paper: ‘I’m aware that it’s going to be difficult for me when that time comes. Because this gives you a lot. I invest a lot of my mental energy on tennis. Waking in the morning with a routine? To better yourself? That’s a huge motivation, every single day. And when that’s not there, it’s going to be hard to replace.’ 

‘I’m sure there will be other things in life that I will grow to love, enjoy and become motivated by. But right now? I still love tennis.’

He seems less enamoured with the idea talking about the sport on the television, telling The Sunday Times that he ‘didn’t particularly enjoy’ his previous attempts at punditry. 

He added: ‘Everyone agrees with each other all the time – there is no needle in the analysis and I don’t think it’s entertaining, or the best for the sport. One thing I like about football is they disagree. Like last night, after the Scotland match…’

For Murray football could provide a second life after his retirement – the Scot is a keen Arsenal fan and has previously suggested he could take his coaching badges in the sport. He told The Sunday Times he could ‘potentially’ make a move into coaching outside tennis. 

It is something that has been on his mind for a while – he spoke last year of his ambition to keep himself busy and has also expressed an interest in assisting professional golfers as a caddie.

He told British Airways high Life magazine in July 2023: ‘I’m looking for something I’m really passionate about and that I want to work really hard at to achieve a specific goal. One area that ticks that box is coaching, but not necessarily in tennis. I’ll definitely want to keep busy.’

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While he decides which direction to take his career in when he finally hangs up the racket, Murray will have a number of business ventures to keep him occupied.

In 2013 they bought the luxury Scottish country house hotel Cromlix, which is close to the town of Dunblane, where he grew up and they have overseen its refurbishment. They have also put in planning applications for nine additional cabins which they hope to build later this year.

Murray also has a substantial stake in the British sportswear brand Castore, is a shareholder in Game4Padel, a fast-growing game which is a cross between tennis and squash and TMRW Sports, a venture launched by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

And he is a supporter of British startups – he has a long association with the UK crowdfunding platform Seedrs – and is a global ambassador for Unicef and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

In 2022 he donated £510,000 – his whole year’s prize money – to help displaced Ukrainian children and received an Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in recognition of his efforts. Murray is the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon singles titles since Fred Perry in 1936.

But he had to wait for his success. He famously gave a tearful speech after losing his first Wimbledon final against Roger Federer in 2012.

Twelve months later, he finally ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a male champion – the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and former champions Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker were among those watching from the Royal Box.

He went on to became a Wimbledon champion for the second time in 2016 when he beat Canadian Milos Raonic in five sets, repeating his 2013 triumph and claiming a third Grand Slam title.