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You don’t need to be a tennis aficionado to know who Andy Murray is, but if you’re not a tennis aficionado, you might have missed the news that the British champ has retired. Murray bowed out last weekend after being knocked out of the men’s doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The former world number one leaves a formidable legacy – and is even getting one of London’s most prestigious tennis courts named after him. Shortly after his final match at Paris 2024 Olympics, the Lawn Tennis Association announced it would rename the Centre Court at London’s Queen’s Club in tribute. From now on it’ll be known as the Andy Murray Arena. Certainly one way to ease the blow of missing out on a final Olympic medal, eh?
The Queen’s Club is a private sports club in West Kensington and hosts one of the oldest grass court tennis tournaments in the world. It’s often regarded as a sort of warm-up for Wimbledon, taking place a few weeks beforehand every year. While hosting an annual tournament for men’s tennis, in 2025 Queen’s will see the return of the Women’s Tennis Association for the first time since 1973.
And the Andy Murray Arena isn’t the only way the Lawn Tennis Association is marking the career of Murray. It’s also announced it will invest £5 million into a new tennis centre at the Park of Keir, close to where Murray grew up in Dunblane.
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2024 has been quite the year for the sport, from tennis love triangle flick Challengers and big-screen Wimbledon viewing parties to Andy Murray’s farewell tournament. If you fancy a go on the court, here’s a list of places you can head to in London. And don’t switch your screens off yet, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are still in full swing until the end of the month.
ICYMI: Where to watch the 2024 Olympics in London.
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