Since retiring after the Paris 2024 Olympics, Andy Murray, the three-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been navigating a surprisingly fulfilling life off the professional tennis tour. In a candid interview, he revealed that he doesn’t miss tennis at all — and opened up about the emotional toll the sport once wielded over his personal life.
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A Surprising Feeling: “I Feel Really Free”
In a recent conversation with BBC Radio 4, Murray admitted he expected retirement to be emotionally difficult. “I was expecting … to be missing tennis a lot,” but discovered the reality was the “complete opposite” .
Reflecting on this transition, he explained:
> “Since I’ve stopped, I feel really free and have got lots of time to do whatever it is I want … I can dedicate time to my children and have free time to play golf or go to the gym on my own terms.”
Despite a stellar 19-year career, retirement has brought an unexpected sense of liberation.
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Wrestling With Retirement Anxiety — Then Finding Peace
Before hanging up his racket, Murray reeled from the physical and mental demands of professional tennis. Years of hip surgeries, ankle issues, and spinal operations culminated in chronic pain and self-doubt, especially as he approached the end of his career .
He described the guilt of yachting long periods away from his young family:
> “If I was away for three to four weeks … I would feel guilty leaving my children at home.”
But even when around home, he was torn between family time and recovery — too active, and he worried it might affect his next training session.
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Heartbreaking Confession: “I Don’t Miss It At All”
Murray publicly acknowledged at his retirement tour that he no longer misses hitting a tennis ball. In a heartfelt reflection during his Centre Stage theatre show, he shared:
> “Honestly I don’t miss it at all. That was something I was really worried about … But I don’t miss it at all. I don’t miss hitting a tennis ball.”
This resonated with the audience, symbolizing a man at peace with his past and empowered by newfound freedom.
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Rediscovering Life — Beyond the Lines
Family and Fatherhood First
Murray now spends most of his time with his wife Kim and their four children — something he described as more rewarding than any Grand Slam title. Quiet dinners, bedtime stories, and weekend outings have replaced training camps and airline flights .
New Competitive Outlets: Golf & Exercise on His Terms
Channeling his inherent competitiveness, Murray has embraced golf. He’s an avid participant in pro-am events and plays regularly purely for enjoyment, not pressure .
Taking Centre Stage — Literally
Murray recently launched Centre Stage, a touring theatre conversation with broadcaster Andrew Cotter. The show, enjoyed by thousands in Glasgow and beyond, blends nostalgia, humor, and raw honesty about his life and career .
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Reflections on Identity and Legacy
For over half his life, Murray identified firmly as a tennis player. But as the physical strain intensified—and the enjoyment faded—he began to question that identity.
He admitted he had once found himself resenting the demands of the sport:
> “I’m not really enjoying it just now … in the important moments … that will to win and fight … is missing.”
Yet stepping away proved transformative. He now acknowledges that while tennis shaped him, it no longer defines him.
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In Summary: What Murray’s Confession Means
Theme Insight From Murray
Retirement Expectations Expected to miss tennis deeply—found the opposite to be true.
Emotional Weight of Career Felt guilt and pressure balancing sport and family life.
Liberation in Retirement Describes retirement as “free,” filled with personal time and peace.
No Regret, No Longing Explicitly states he doesn’t miss tennis or hitting balls professionally.
Renewed Identity Embraces fatherhood, golf, theatre, and other passions as part of his evolving self.
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Final Thoughts
Andy Murray’s bittersweet confession—“I don’t miss tennis at all”—shows that even the most illustrious careers can end with clarity, not regret. He’s now rediscovering simplicity: family dinners over grand slams, local golf courses over Centre Court, and candid conversations over press conferences.
For fans who once saw Murray as a relentless competitor, his retirement arc has revealed something ev
en more enduring: a man who outgrew the game he loved but embraced what life offered next.
