Andy Murray is "scarred for life" and will not return to the BBC commentary box at Wimbledon after a brief stint in 2018, according to his former colleagues. The two-time Wimbledon champion retired from playing two years ago and has since moved into coaching, working with Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper, rather than pursuing a broadcasting career.
Memorable match that put Murray off
BBC commentators Andrew Cotter and Tim Henman recalled the moment they believe convinced Murray to avoid commentary. During their coverage of Novak Djokovic's win over Arthur Rinderknech on Friday, Cotter said: "I remember the 2018 World Cup when England were playing Croatia in the semi-final. Tim, you and I were in here alongside Andy Murray watching Rafael Nadal against Juan Martin del Potro. One of the great matches of all time. I think that was the commentary that convinced Andy Murray that he didn't want to do it again."
Henman added: "[Chuckles] exactly yeah, it was one of the great Wimbledon matches wasn't it. Four-and-a-half hours later Andy Murray never wanted to commentate again. That spoke volumes for us. It scarred him for life."
Murray's own words on commentary
Earlier this year, Murray explained his reluctance to enter the commentary box. He said: "I just have always found tennis commentary and coverage to be quite down the middle. I don't necessarily find it that interesting or that insightful. It's not something that I really fancy doing, unless it was done in a very different way and I don't necessarily think that that would happen at Wimbledon."
Murray's decision to focus on coaching has been well-received, as he brings his vast experience to guide younger players. His brief foray into commentary in 2018, during Nadal's gruelling five-set victory over Del Potro, left a lasting negative impression, according to Henman and Cotter.
