PARIS: Andy Murray said he was retiring “on my terms” as his trophy-filled career came to an emotional end at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, closing another chapter on tennis’s golden generation.
The former world number one and three-time Grand Slam title winner slipped into retirement aged 37 when he and Dan Evans lost in the men’s doubles quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul delivered the knockout blow with a 6-2, 6-4 victory on a packed Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Britain’s Murray had already announced that the Olympics would be his last event.
“I’m proud of my career, my achievements and what I put into the sport,” said Murray.
“Obviously it was emotional because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match. But I am genuinely happy just now. I’m happy with how it finished.”
He added: “I’m glad I got to go out here at the Olympics and finish on my terms because at times in the last few years that wasn’t a certainty.”
Just a few hours after Murray had made his exit, he cheekily wrote on X: “Never even liked tennis anyway.”
Career-long rival Novak Djokovic described Murray as “an incredible competitor.”
“One of the greatest warriors tennis has seen. His fighting spirit is definitely something that I’m sure is going to inspire many generations to come,” said the Serb.
One of the ‘Big Four’ in the sport, Murray joins 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer in retirement after the Swiss great quit in 2022.
Rafael Nadal, the winner of 22 majors but battling more injuries at the age of 38, exited the Paris Olympics on Wednesday and suggested that he had played his last match at Roland Garros, where he won 14 of his Slams.
Nadal also effectively ruled himself out of the US Open, sparking more speculation that the great Spaniard is also finished in the sport.
That would leave just 37-year-old Djokovic — winner of a record 24 Grand Slams — still active among the sport’s eminent talents who have carved up 69 majors between them.
Murray famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he triumphed in 2013, defeating Djokovic in the final.
He added a second title in 2016, taking his career majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.
Murray won gold at the 2012 Olympics on an emotional day at the All England Club when he defeated Federer just weeks after he had lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss on the same Center Court.
Four years later he defeated Juan Martin del Potro to become the first player, man or woman, to win two Olympic singles golds.
Murray also led Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015, the country’s first in 79 years.
He has won 46 titles in all and banked around $65 million in prize money.
However, he has been ravaged by injuries in recent years, slumping to 117th in the world.
The Scot has played with a metal hip since 2019 and suffered ankle damage earlier this year before undergoing surgery to remove a spinal cyst, which ruled him out of singles at Wimbledon.
Instead, he played doubles with brother Jamie and was defeated in the first round before an emotional tribute arranged by tournament chiefs.
“It’s hard because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t,” admitted Murray at the All England Club.
“Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant.”
Men’s tennis has already opened up a new frontier.
Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian, succeeded Djokovic as Australian Open champion in January and eventually took his world number one ranking.
Carlos Alcaraz, 21, won the French Open and successfully defended his Wimbledon title, sweeping Djokovic off court in a one-sided final in July.
“It was a privilege to share the court with you, Andy!” Alcaraz wrote on X in tribute to Murray.
“Congratulations on a legendary career and for being an example to all. You will always have a fan here.”
‘Proud’ Murray bows out of tennis with Paris Olympics defeat
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‘Proud’ Murray bows out of tennis with Paris Olympics defeat
Israeli strikes in central Syria kill seven — war monitor
- In the most high-profile attack on Syria since the war in Gaza began, suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran’s embassy in April, a strike that Iran said killed seven military advisers, including three senior commanders
DAMASCUS: Israeli strikes in central Syria killed at least seven people late Sunday, including three civilians, a war monitor reported.
Since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes there, targeting pro-Iranian groups in particular.
“The number of dead in the Israeli strikes on the Masyaf region stands at seven, namely three civilians, including a man and his son who were in a car, and four unidentified soldiers,” said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a vast network of sources inside the country.
The attack also wounded at least 15 others and destroyed military facilities in the area, the Observatory said.
“Thirteen violent explosions rang out in the zone housing scientific research centers in Masyaf where pro-Iranian groups and weapons development experts are present,” the group said in an earlier statement.
The Syrian state news agency Sana had previously reported five killed and 19 wounded near Masyaf, citing a medical source.
“Around 11:20 p.m. (2020 GMT) on Sunday, the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the northwest of Lebanon targeting a number of military sites in the central region,” Sana reported, citing a military source.
“Our air defense shot down some missiles.”
Israeli air raids in Syria have intensified since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes in Syria, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence there.
At the end of August, three pro-Iranian fighters were killed in the central region of Homs in strikes attributed to Israel, the Observatory said.
A few days later, the Israeli military said it had killed an unspecified number of fighters belonging to Hamas ally Islamic Jihad in a strike in Syria near the Lebanese border.
US, UK aircraft bomb Houthi-held area as militia claims downing US drone
- A Houthi-run news agency reported the strikes but did not say if there had been any loss of life
- Houthis have targeted over 100 commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea since late last year
AL-MUKALLA: US and UK warplanes have blasted Houthi sites in Yemen’s Ibb province after the Yemeni militia claimed to have shot down a new US drone.
The Houthi-run official news agency reported on Sunday that American and British warplanes carried out three airstrikes on the Maytam region, north of Ibb province, the latest in a series of military operations against the Houthis in response to their attacks on ships.
The Houthis did not provide information on the targeted area in the region, or if there were any human or property damages.
Since early this year, US and UK forces have launched strikes on Houthi-held Yemeni provinces including Sanaa, Saada, Hodeidah, Ibb, and others, targeting missile and drone launchers and storage facilities, as well as explosive-laden drone boats ready to attack ships in international shipping lanes off Yemen.
This comes as Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed on Saturday night that the Yemeni militia had shot down a US military MQ-9 drone engaged in “hostile activities” over the central province of Marib, the eighth such claim since the start of their anti-ship campaign in November.
The Houthis did not immediately publish a video of the operation to back up their claim, something they routinely do hours or days later.
The Houthis earlier claimed to have shot down the same kind of US drone over Hodeidah, Saada, and Marib using locally produced missiles.
Since late last year, the Houthis have launched hundreds of ballistic missiles, drones, and drone boats at over 100 commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israel’s war in Gaza.
During their campaign, the Houthis captured one commercial ship, sank two others, and set fire to numerous more.
The Greek-flagged Sounion oil ship carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil is still burning and abandoned in the Red Sea, having been repeatedly struck by Houthi fire.
Rescuers who visited the ship last week determined that it was too dangerous to relocate and looked at various possibilities for defusing the hazard on-site.
At the same time, the EU naval operation in the Red Sea, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, said on Saturday that its three naval units had defended 230 ships on the major commerce artery, shot down 17 drones, two drone boats, and four ballistic missiles, and rescued 29 sailors since the mission began in February.
In a separate development, the Houthis said on Saturday that lightning bolts had killed 160 people in regions under their control since the beginning of the year, including 22 deaths in strikes during the last two days.
The most recent round of torrential and intense rains, which started in late July, has killed over 100 people, displaced thousands of families, destroyed hundreds of houses, and washed away roads and other infrastructure throughout Yemen, mainly in the country’s central highlands and western coastal provinces.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting between Yemeni government troops and the Houthis has erupted in hilly parts of the southern province of Lahj, killing or injuring numerous combatants from both sides.
Local media reported on Sunday that joint government soldiers from the Security Belt and the Giants Brigades recovered two areas in the Al-Musaymir District of Lahj that had fallen to the Houthis in recent days.
During the fighting, a Yemeni government soldier was killed, as well as an undetermined number of Houthis.
Despite a dramatic decline in hostilities in Yemen since April 2022 under the UN-brokered ceasefire, the Houthis have continued to wage lethal attacks on government soldiers in Taiz, Lahj, Dhale, and Marib.
Pakistani forces kill eight Afghan Taliban in border clash after ‘unprovoked firing’ — state media
- The two countries have previously witnessed similar skirmishes, leading to the closure of border crossings
- Pakistani officials blame Afghan Taliban for sheltering and facilitating banned militant networks like the TTP
ISLAMABAD: Security forces in Pakistan killed eight Afghan Taliban fighters in a border clash, state-owned media reported on Sunday, following “unprovoked firing” from the other side on Pakistani checkpoints.
This is not the first such skirmish along the border between the two neighboring countries.
Previous clashes have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two states.
Last month, the Torkham border was shut down for three days after the Afghan Taliban announced they were investigating reports of Pakistani fighter jets allegedly violating Afghan airspace to patrol Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.
“Afghan Taliban opened unprovoked firing with heavy weapons yesterday from inside Afghanistan, targeting Pakistani check posts,” Radio Pakistan said.
“The Pakistan security forces responded effectively and killed eight Afghan Taliban, including key commanders Khalil and Jan Muhammad,” it continued. “Sixteen Afghan Taliban were also injured in the firing.”
Quoting unnamed sources, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported that the incident took place along the Pak-Afghan border near the Kurram district in the northwest.
However, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has not released an official statement on the matter.
Pakistani officials have previously accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering and facilitating the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
They have also urged the Kabul administration not to allow such armed factions to use Afghan territory to launch attacks in the region.
The Afghan authorities, however, deny these allegations, maintaining that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal issue for Islamabad.
Deputy PM Dar seeks increased investment, trade in talks with British-Pakistani lawmakers
- Ishaq Dar briefs these lawmakers on government’s roadmap for the country’s economic revival
- He says young British-Pakistanis should stay connected with their roots by visiting the country
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar discussed the prospects of increasing investment from the United Kingdom, along with expanding bilateral trade volume, during a detailed interaction with a group of British-Pakistani members of parliament in London, according to an official statement released on Sunday.
Dar embarked on his first five-day official visit to Britain last week following the change of government in the UK, where the Labour Party won the general elections in July and returned to power after 14 years.
He addressed a wide range of issues with senior administration officials in London, including the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines flights to the UK, which he emphasized as a “major priority” for the government.
The last elections in the UK also saw 15 members of Pakistani heritage elected to parliament, many of whom met the deputy prime minister at a dinner hosted by Pakistan’s High Commissioner, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, at the diplomatic facility.
“The Deputy Prime Minister congratulated the newly elected British-Pakistani Members of Parliament,” said the statement released by his office, adding their success in the elections reflected the strength of British democracy and success of its citizens of Pakistani origin.
“The Deputy Prime Minister asked the Members of Parliament for suggestions on how the government could draw more British foreign direct investment in Pakistan and increase the bilateral trade volume,” it added.
He briefed the British-Pakistani lawmakers on his government’s roadmap for the economic revival of the country, acknowledging that security issues over the past several years had caused significant challenges for Pakistan.
However, he emphasized that the government was committed to steering Pakistan back toward economic growth and development. Dar explained the Pakistani administration had to implement politically unpopular measures, noting that they were gradually starting to yield positive results.
He mentioned that inflation had been reduced to single digits and the current account deficit had been brought under control, along with stabilizing the currency.
Dar also highlighted the widespread institutional support for economic reforms and noted that the Special Investment Facilitation Council, established by the government last year, was attracting foreign investors to Pakistan’s energy, mining, information technology and agriculture sectors.
The deputy prime minister further stressed the importance of young British-Pakistanis staying connected with their roots and noted that the Pakistani government had introduced a new visa-free policy to encourage Pakistani expatriates to visit the country.
Alex Morgan says goodbye with final match after an illustrious 15-year career
- She started and wore the captain’s armband for the San Diego Wave in her final match, playing for the first 13 minutes against the North Carolina Courage before subbing out of the game to an ovation
- Morgan’s US national team career was full of accomplishments, including World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, and an Olympic Gold medal in 2012
- A young fan at the game held a sign that said ‘Thank you Alex for all of your hard work for women’s sports’
SAN DIEGO: Fighting tears, Alex Morgan waved to the crowd and walked off the field for the last time on Sunday as she capped an impactful 15-year career.
The two-time Women’s World Cup winner announced on Thursday she was pregnant with her second child and retiring from the game.
She started and wore the captain’s armband for the San Diego Wave in her final match, playing for the first 13 minutes against the North Carolina Courage before subbing out of the game to an ovation at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.
“What a ride it’s been,” Morgan told the crowd after the match.
It was her 63rd appearance for the Wave, commemorated by a No. 63 jersey given to Morgan in a pregame ceremony. Overall, it was her 150th career appearance in National Women’s Soccer League play.
Before the match, the video scoreboard board showed snippets of Morgan’s retirement video, along with highlights from her career. Her 4-year-old daughter, Charlie, accompanied her on the field. She had more than 95 family members and friends at the game.
The Wave’s starters posed for a photo imitating Morgan’s iconic ‘tea sipping’ celebration, a homage to her iconic response to her go-ahead goal to beat England in the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup in France.
Morgan’s US national team career was full of accomplishments, including World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, and an Olympic Gold medal in 2012. In club play, Morgan played for the NWSL champion Portland Thorns in the league’s first year and helped the Wave win the Shield in 2023.
Morgan played in 224 matches for the US national team, with 123 goals (fifth on the career list) and 53 assists (ninth). She was named the US Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.
When she subbed off, she fought back tears as she removed her cleats at midfield. During the substitution, a tifo in the supporter’s section read “For Country, Club, Community.”
Despite the nearly 100-degree heat, a crowd of 26,516 fans filled Snapdragon for Morgan’s farewell match. Among them was San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove, who went to the match straight from his start against the San Francisco Giants.
“Twelve thousand tickets were sold in one day when she announced that this was going to be her last game” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said, “That’s the power of Alex Morgan.”
Wave fan Amber Brunner attended the match with her family, saying “My girls fell in love with soccer because of her.”
Off the pitch, Morgan advanced women’s soccer in her fight for equal pay with the men’s national team. The US women filed a lawsuit in 2019 that led to a historic agreement in 2022 that paid both the men and women equitably.
A young fan at the game held a sign that said “Thank you Alex for all of your hard work for women’s sports.”
