Clare Balding in Tears on Live TV as Andy Murray’s Remarkable Career Ends
TV sports commentator Clare Balding was reduced to tears as she spoke live on the BBC about tennis player Andy Murray on Thursday 1 August, shortly after he and partner Dan Evans lost their quarter final men’s doubles match at the Olympics and therefore ended their time at the tournament. The match was Andy’s final professional appearance after he announced he would retire after the Olympic Games in Paris.
The match, in which Andy and Dan lost in straight sets to Team USA pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, was broadcast live on the BBC, with the cameras turning to Clare and co-presenters Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster after the game was over. “My word, hasn’t he shown us everything he is about in his three matches here,” she began.
“It is never over until it’s over. And now sadly, in terms of his professional playing career that is it, it is over.”
“All we can say is thank you, thank you,” Clare added, her voice breaking, and co-presenter Rebecca Adlington couldn’t hold back her emotions either, saying: “You’re going to make me cry!” As the presenting team spoke about Andy’s achievements and Clare regained her composure, a hand appeared on camera offering Clare a tissue to wipe away her tears.
She was not the only one feeling the emotions of the night, as both Andy and Dan looked to be holding back the tears, too. Andy managed to keep it together as he spoke to cameras following the end of the match.
“”I’m happy. It has been a good run here in my final tournament. It is not the perfect ending. It would have been amazing to have won a medal. We gave it a good go. I feel good. I knew the end was coming for the last few months. I was ready for it. I was emotional because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match,” he said.
“I am genuinely happy just now. I am happy with how it has finished. I am glad I got to finish at the Olympics on my terms. In times in the last few years that wasn’t a certainty. Even a few months ago, I was told when I first had a scan on my back, I wouldn’t be playing Wimbledon or the Olympics. I feel also lucky that I got that opportunity to play here and have great matches, amazing memories.”
Andy, who underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his spine just days before Wimbledon this year, retires from the sport with an impressive record. He beat Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2013, becoming the first British man to win the tournament in 77 years. He won the famous Wimbledon Men’s Singles trophy again in 2016, becoming the world number one, and won gold and silver Olympic medals at the 2012 Olympics in London for single and mixed doubles respectively. He also won gold in the men’s singles at the Rio Olympics in 2016.