It’s been 76 years since a Brit has won a major event at Wimbledon. It's been so long since the crowd at Wimbledon has cheered for a Brit player as they did today. Andy Murray created history with his win today claiming his first Olympic gold medal for a country which has long awaited a champion since Fred Perry.
Andy Murray defeated Roger Federer in a convincing manner in straight sets: 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. Federer looked tired after the epic semifinal match but today was the day for Andy Murray, a well-deserved victory. It was the biggest win of his life and career, and indeed one of the most inspiring in the history of Olympics.
Today's victory for Andy Murray was not just another one; it is the win that has officially put him in the champion’s league. Whatever doubts people had about his ability to handle pressure, has now been put to rest. Today he showed to everyone that true champions are those who have the ability to rise up from their failures and emerge stronger than ever before.
It was at the start of the year, when we first saw the emergence of the resilient Murray when he stretched Djokovic to a marathon 5 set match in the semifinals of Australian Open. It could have been one of the crushing moments of his career but as Ivan Lendl told him: This is just the start; you have got to be ready for more to come. And then came the crucial moment in his career, the finals of Wimbledon where he lost to Federer in a thrilling 4 set match. Although he lost the Wimbledon trophy, he emerged as a winner in the heart of the tennis fans in Britain with his tough persona and determination.
With such crushing defeats, one would expect Murray to be bogged down as he has shown in the past but this time, it was not to be. As Murray himself said it, earlier he used to get depressed and take off for some days, this time he was back on the court after 5 days feeling good and looking to his next goal- Olympics. He believed he has matured as a player, grown up as a person and unlike the past, he was more positive.
And a huge reason for such growth can be contributed to the one man he decided to hire after consulting with Darren Cahill – “Ivan Lendl”. And what a difference he has made in his belief, mental attitude and shot making especially his forehand .From a crying baby who was famous for faking injury symptoms during the match, holding his back or knee to give false impressions to his opponents, shouting at his camp after almost every point, Andy Murray has finally come out with his real self - the resilient, aggressive and above all a confident player who believes in his game rather than other distractions. Lendl has brought in him the passion and toughness the British has been asking him to show since he first emerged a young prodigy.
Not many know, but when Murray was a child, he witnessed the Dunblane, Scotland school shooting massacre where a crazed gunman killed 16 of his classmates and a teacher. I can only imagine the effect it must have had on his mind and till this date, Murray is reluctant to talk about it. What's truly inspiring is that in spite of such a horrific event; he has come out as a fighter who wanted to prove to the world that giving up is never an option. Everyone including Federer, Nadal and Djokovic had been expecting him to rise any moment, and today was the day when he finally got his moment in front of his own people at the historic venue of Wimbledon at Olympics. What better way to stamp upon your authority than the tennis and sports heaven?
People might think that giving up is an easy option, look at Murray and see for how many times, he was defeated by Nadal in the semifinals, how many times he has been defeated in the finals by Federer and Djokovic before he finally became a champion.
Imagine if he would have not tried anymore, not tried to hire Lendl, not tried to be the most hard working player on the tour, not tried to be who he is today: Olympic Gold Medal Champion.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison
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