Andy Murray’s clay legacy: A triumph

And yet, master it he did… 

“I'm proud of the results that I had here,” Murray said after bowing out to Wawrinka on Sunday night in Paris, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, in what could be his last Roland-Garros match. “I had great memories.” 

Over the years the clay has become a metaphor for Murray’s incredible diligence and determination. The terre battue a canvas for his resilience, the crushed red brick an obstacle to contemplate, and overcome.  

“It was not an easy surface for me. But I always showed up and put in some strong performances, considering. It was a good run here over the years,” Murray, who owns a 39-12 lifetime record on the Parisian clay, said.

Murray’s first-round loss on Sunday does nothing to tarnish the legacy that the Scot carved out for himself in Paris. Let us never forget the era he played in, and the incredible level of competition he faced. 

“Most players would sign up for the results I've had here,” Murray said. “I played a final, four semis, and made the quarters a couple of times as well. I lost in the semis: to Novak in five, Stan in five, and twice to Rafa. Obviously no shame in that.

“In a different time, maybe, the results would have been a bit different.”

Nearly two decades after his main draw debut in 2006, Murray’s impressive Roland-Garros resume tells the story of a tenacious journey of discovery on the sport’s most demanding surface. He didn’t just survive on the clay, he thrived on it, and along the way made history for his country as the first British man to reach the final at Porte d’Auteuil since Bunny Austin in 1937. 

Murray achieved that feat in 2016, winning what will likely go down as his best match on clay against defending champion Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, to become the first Brit to reach the final round in Paris in 79 years. 

“I’m extremely proud,” Murray said at the time. “I never expected to reach the final here. I always struggled on the clay and in the last two years I’ve had some great results. It's not an easy thing to do.”

“He's a fighter,” said Djokovic, who would go on to defeat Murray in the 2016 final. “He has improved so much on the clay court over the years. I mean, this season is a great example of that.” 

In 2017 Murray pushed his body to the brink, and engineered his fourth run to the Roland-Garros semi-finals.

It would prove to be the end of the road. Murray fell to Wawrinka in five sets, his aching hip failing him and ushering in the dark years that would feature multiple hip surgeries and a precipitous fall in the rankings. 

“I’d had issues with my hip for a really long time,” Murray recalled earlier this week. “I was starting to have issues, moving, and also driving up to serve, because of my hip. 

“I remember during that match, during the fifth set, feeling like I was unable to move. I couldn’t sleep that night, my hip was in so much pain. We were staying in a house near here, I remember getting up during the night, I was just lying on the sofa, in loads of pain. My hip never recovered.” 

Seven years later and now with a metal hip, Murray, who ranks fourth among active players in main draw wins at Roland-Garros behind Nadal (112), Djokovic (92) and Wawrinka (46) carries on in what could be his last season. 

Behind him lies a trail of undeniable success. 

“I think Andy did everything he could since he arrived on tour,” Wawrinka said of Murray on Sunday night. “He was an amazing fighter. He always found solutions. He's one of the hardest workers on tour. Since more than 20 years, he always wanted to improve. He always improved his game.”