Tim Henman has claimed that Andy Murray is 'scarred for life' following his sole experience as a BBC commentator at Wimbledon eight years ago, and will not return to the booth. The two-time Wimbledon champion retired from playing two years ago and chose a coaching career instead of broadcasting, having been put off by his first taste.
Murray's Coaching Path After Retirement
Sir Andy called time on his illustrious playing career two years ago and opted to step into coaching rather than broadcasting. He was hired by Novak Djokovic for the early part of last year and has more recently taken up a role on Jack Draper's team.
The Moment That Sealed His Fate
BBC commentators Andrew Cotter and Tim Henman believe they know the exact moment that Murray's mind was made up to avoid following in their footsteps. Murray joined the pair in the booth for Rafael Nadal's marathon five-set win over Juan Martin del Potro in 2018, and he did not take to it well.
Cotter, speaking during commentary of Novak Djokovic's clash with Arthur Rinderknech on Friday, said: 'I remember the 2018 World Cup when England were playing Croatia in the semi-final. Tim, you and I were in here alongside Andy Murray watching Rafael Nadal against Juan Martin del Potro. One of the great matches of all time. I think that was the commentary that convinced Andy Murray that he didn't want to do it again.'
Henman added: '[Chuckles] exactly yeah, it was one of the great Wimbledon matches wasn't it. Four-and-a-half hours later Andy Murray never wanted to commentate again. That spoke volumes for us. It scarred him for life.'
Murray's Own Explanation
Earlier this year, Murray addressed why he never fancied picking up the mic after retirement. He explained: 'I just have always found tennis commentary and coverage to be quite down the middle. I don’t necessarily find it that interesting or that insightful. It’s not something that I really fancy doing, unless it was done in a very different way, and I don’t necessarily think that that would happen at Wimbledon.'
