Andy Murray’s final appearance at the Paris Olympics was an emotional affair, as the tennis icon concluded his remarkable career. The 37 year old took to the court for the last time, partnering with Dan Evans in the men’s doubles quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Despite not securing a fourth Olympic medal, his performance, just weeks after spinal surgery, was one of the standout stories of the Games
However, amidst the emotion and media scrutiny, Murray demonstrated the kindness and generosity that has endeared him to the British public, extending a heartfelt gesture to a devastated Welsh athlete.
Earlier in the Games, boxer Rosie Eccles had her Olympic aspirations dashed amid controversy when she was controversially ousted from the women’s 66kg boxing competition. The 28 year old appeared to be on track for victory during her last-32 bout against Poland’s Aneta Rygielska.
Despite Rygielska being penalised a point, a surprise split decision declared her the winner. Eccles was left shocked by the verdict, which elicited boos from the crowd.
She maintained that she was the rightful victor of the match, while BBC commentator Steve Bunce expressed his frustration at the decision.
In a poignant social media post, the boxer later wrote: “Today, in my last dance it was the sport of boxing that has broke my heart.
Following a heartbreaking moment, tennis ace Murray made an incredible gesture to boxer Eccles by arranging for her to witness his and Evans’ stunning comeback victory over Belgium at Roland Garros.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the boxer shared her admiration for sports stars like Murray and cyclist Mark Cavendish, saying: “I’ve always admired Andy Murray and Mark Cavendish. I actually met both. But Andy I obviously met him, he has had things similar to myself in terms of lots of setbacks and lots of injuries.”
She continued to express her connection with Murray’s resilience, stating: “He fights for every point and I am very similar in the ring. But I met him and they actually sorted me out tickets. I actually went to the doubles match against Belgium, the one before they lost, it was incredible.
Eccles recounted her unforgettable Olympic experience, enthusing: “I was right at the front and it was incredible to watch it live,” and added, “They fought like hell to win. It was one of the experiences from the Olympics that I will never forget it was amazing.
The Newport-born athlete also had the opportunity to meet Cavendish, as she revealed: “I even had the chance to have a small chat with [him] after a Team GB speech he gave. Again a massive fan of the way he has carried himself through adversity.”
Reflecting on the surreal encounters, she concluded: “If you had said two people I would have met, it was mental. Both genuine and humble people in the flesh.
