Sir Andy Murray took to the stage at the New Wimbledon Theatre last night, marking the final stop of his four-date tour as he tentatively transforms from tennis champion to storyteller.
The production, titled Centre Stage, saw the 38-year-old surrounded by dozens of his old tennis rackets, each telling its own story.
"This one," he said, picking up a racket marked "Sunday" with a string tension of 56lb, "was the one I used to win my first Wimbledon final."
The sold-out venue drew 1,700 admirers, including Billie Jean King and Sir Gareth Southgate.
Andy Murray and wife Kim briefly split in 2008
PABroadcaster Andrew Cotter hosted the evening, joking that Murray worried nobody would attend.
Murray shared remarkably candid details about his personal life, including the brief split from his wife Kim in 2008.
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"I bought a Ferrari," he recalled. "I called it Barry the Ferrari. I thought it was cool, but it didn't last very long."
The purchase proved ill-fated from the start. "The first day I took it out to drive, it got pulled over by the police because the insurance hadn't cleared," Murray admitted.
He disposed of the vehicle within months, acknowledging it "wasn't really me."
The former world number one described the uncharacteristic behaviour as a response to being "shaken" by their temporary separation.
Murray spoke openly about the physical agony that ended his career. In 2017, despite arriving at Wimbledon as world number one, he recognised his hip was "ruined."
He revealed taking codeine before his loss to Sam Querrey due to unbearable pain, leaving him "dazed and disengaged."
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Andy Murray bought a Ferrari but got rid of it not long after, admitting it 'wasn't really me'
PAThe emotional toll became evident in 2018 when footage showed him at 3am in a near-empty Washington stadium, "physically heaving with sobs."
"I was crying not because of the effort his match had taken, but because I recognised that yet another operation on his hip had failed to work," he explained.
John McEnroe made a special appearance, having adjusted his transatlantic flight to attend.
"Andy, I hope that you stay involved with the sport, in whatever way you're happy with," McEnroe told him.
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Andy Murray has been speaking openly since his retirement from tennis last year
PA"This sport needs you, and it would love you to be around on a somewhat regular basis."
Murray remains uncertain about his future direction. His recent coaching stint with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open left him unconvinced, muttering: "I had better not say any more as I can see Novak's agents are in the audience."
Commentary work has similarly been ruled out after his sole BBC appearance in 2018, which he concluded with: "Well, that was horrific."
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