Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Defending champion Andy Murray withdraws from singles; continues in doubles

Andy Murray has withdrawn from the men’s singles tennis tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to a minor thigh strain and will not defend his Olympic title.

The Scot, who won singles’ gold in 2012 and 2016, will continue to compete for Team GB in the men’s doubles tournament with Joe Salisbury and the decision follows consultation with medical staff in relation to a quad strain.

“I am really disappointed at having to withdraw but the medical staff have advised me against playing in both events,” he said in a statement. “So, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the singles and focus on playing doubles with Joe.”

Murray had been due to face ninth-seed Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada in the first round of the men’s singles, but was replaced on the order of play by Australian Max Purcell.

The 34-year-old won consecutive matches at Grand Slam level for the first time in four years on his Wimbledon singles return last month, before he lost to eventual semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov.

Murray is the only tennis player ever to win back-to-back singles gold medals, and it appears highly likely his last chance to add to that haul in the singles competition has now gone.

Together with Salisbury though, their victory over French Open champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in their opening match – in their first doubles match as a pairing – suggested they could be medal contenders in that format.

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