Wimbledon Plans to Honor Andy Murray's Career With a Statue

(Bloomberg) -- Wimbledon plans to pay tribute to retiring former champion Andy Murray with a statue at its home, the tournament’s chief executive said Sunday.

“We always felt that when Andy retired that would be the appropriate time to recognize his extraordinary career,” Wimbledon Chief Executive Richard Lewis said in an interview on BBC Radio Five Live’s “Sportsweek” program. “I’m sure something like that will be done.”

A tearful Murray said last week that he plans to retire because of a hip injury that’s kept him sidelined for most of the past 18 months. He said that if possible he would like to make Wimbledon, which takes place in early July, his last tournament.

Murray twice won Wimbledon and he captured one of his two Olympic titles at the southwest London venue in 2012. The Scot also won the U.S. Open in 2012, reached the final of the French and Australian Opens and led Great Britain to Davis Cup triumph in 2015.

The Australian Open tennis major starts in Melbourne tomorrow. Murray faces the gritty 22nd-seeded Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain in the first round.

Other great British players honored with sculptures at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club that hosts Wimbeldon include Fred Perry and Virginia Wade.

To contact the reporter on this story: James Amott in London at jamott@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Guy Collins at guycollins@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Todd White

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