Andy Murray’s body is broken – but he doesn’t know how to quit

The British legend has given no indication he plans for it to be his last battle at SW19, despite approaching 40 years of age (Getty)

Everyone seems to agree this is how Andy Murray should retire from tennis. The countdown will begin next week, with a ceremonial send-off from the place he has for so long graced: Wimbledon’s Centre Court. Even if he makes it to the tournament after yet another bout of surgery, no one is expecting him to hang around long against men more than 15 years younger than him. Romance demands there will be one more characteristically monumental five-set recovery victory before he finally succumbs to chronology, perhaps in the second round on Wednesday.

There will be tears aplenty in his post-match interview on court with Annabel Croft, tears in the royal box. In the stands, more blubbing than a drunken hen night as, to thunderous applause, he leaves the hallowed arena for the last time. Three weeks later, he will head to Paris, to compete for Great Britain in the Olympics, chasing – almost certainly forlornly – a third gold medal. When he walks off the courts at Roland Garros for the very last time in his gilded history, after perhaps another valiant failure in the quarter-final, it will be some farewell. Hugely loved, universally admired and stepping away before things finally turned embarrassing: what a way to go, the perfect coda to a career which is inarguably among the finest in British sporting history.

Indeed the All England Club is so convinced of such an idyllic narrative arc it has extensive plans in place should it all get underway next week. According to Debbie Jevans, the new chief executive of the club, Murray’s Wimbledon departure has been fully rehearsed and run through, ready for the off. “Andy has been such an amazing ambassador for the sport and the country,” she says. “If he chooses to step down, we will celebrate accordingly.”