Tennis Great Serena Williams Sends Passionate Retirement Message For Andy Murray

Serena Williams made sure to show her appreciation for fellow tennis icon Andy Murray, who announced his plan to retire after the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

On Thursday, Murray lost his men's doubles match (alongside his brother, Jamie) in the first round of Wimbledon. While he still has a scheduled match on Saturday in the mixed doubles, fans couldn't help but show the former men's world No. 1 their love and admiration for him.

Williams, for her part, joined in the outpouring of support for Murray as he prepares to enter a new chapter in his professional career. The 23-time Grand Slam winner shared a passionate speech in which she also thanked the British star for his contributions to growing the game.

"Congratulations to you, Andy Murray, for such an incredible career. I have to say I’ve always enjoyed watching you, one of the main reasons is because you were one of the few players who would be more angry than me on the court, which is a very hard thing to do,” Williams shared.

"I had the pleasure of playing mixed doubles next to you by your side which was such a fantastic experience, at Wimbledon, nonetheless, and it was really one of the highlights of my life."

Williams noted that Murray will always hold a "special place" in her heart because he "always speaks out so much for women and everything that women deserve."

"The things you said about myself and Venus, so many things about how we were always so inspiring, and what we meant to you, it really went such a long way in my heart, and I will always be grateful for that," Williams added.

Andy Murray is set to end his career as a three-time Grand Slam winner and one of the best to ever play the game. While injuries hindered and prevented him from reaching his full potential, there's no denying that he has made a huge impact on tennis, on and off it.

As Serena Williams said, Murray has been an advocate of women's tennis, even previously arguing that women should get equal pay as the men in the sport.

Indeed, despite a big "What If" in his career, Murray can hold his head high as he walks off into the sunset.

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