Summer is always an exciting time for any British tennis fan, however this year was particularly special, with the prospect of an exciting two weeks of Wimbledon action, followed by Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final in Serbia and the Olympics in Rio. Could Andy Murray enjoy another golden summer and rekindle those fabulous memories of 2012 and 2013? Would Johanna Konta continue her breakthrough season and earn a special prize? How would Jamie Murray get on after achieving the top spot in the doubles rankings? Could Great Britain reach the Davis Cup semi-finals once again?
Things certainly looked promising for Andy Murray, who arrived at Queen’s on the back of his best ever showing at the French Open. There was also the intriguing matter of Ivan Lendl being back in his players’ box – and we all know what happened last time the two linked up!
Andy certainly didn’t disappoint at the West London event, which traditionally signals the start of the British grass court season. He successfully defended his title and with it took home the trophy for a record fifth time, which is a truly remarkable achievement by any standards.
There were other notable performances at Queen’s, Eastbourne and Nottingham, with Kyle Edmund reaching the Queen’s quarterfinals and Tara Moore enjoying a dream run to reach the same stage in Nottingham. Johanna Konta played some divine tennis at Devonshire Park, beating two-time Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova on her way to a semi-final showing. Jo’s rise to the top of the game over the last year has truly been a joy to watch.
At Wimbledon, the success for the Brits only grew in strength. The final Sunday will certainly be remembered as one of the greatest ever days in British tennis history, with British players winning an almost unbelievable four titles in a single day…
Gordon Reid was the first to taste victory in the inaugural men’s wheelchair singles. It was certainly a memorable few days for the Scot, who also won the doubles event just a day earlier alongside partner Alfie Hewett. The triumph was quickly being followed by success for Jordanne Whiley, who won the women’s wheelchair doubles with partner Yui Kamiji of Japan.
Of course, all eyes focused in on Andy Murray, who faced Milos Raonic in the men’s singles final. Could the man from Dunblane take home a second Wimbledon crown?
It was never going to be an easy match against the big serving Canadian, however we all know that Andy is one of the greatest returners ever to play the game, and ultimately it was this that proved to be the crucial factor. It is hard to comprehend what Andy has done for the sport in this country, and I for one certainly don’t mind admitting that I shed a tear or two as he lifted the trophy for a second time. Straight sets victories don’t get more memorable than this!
The day wasn’t done yet though, with the final icing on the cake being provided by Heather Watson and partner Henri Kontinen, who laughed and giggled their way to victory in the mixed doubles. What a day. What a Wimbledon.
The gruelling tennis season means that there is virtually no time for players to sit back and enjoy their successes, and only a few days passed before it was time to turn our attention to the Davis Cup and Great Britain’s quarterfinal against Serbia.
Andy Murray wisely chose to sit out the tie but made the trip to Belgrade to offer his support. It was Kyle Edmund who proved to be the star of the show, with the man from Beverley winning both of his singles matches against Janko Tipsarevic and Dusan Lajovic in straight sets. On the Saturday, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot teamed up to win a crucial hard fought doubles rubber and help GB to victory. We had reached the semi-finals once again!
By the following week, it was Johanna Konta who was making all the headlines, with her stunning victory over seven-time Grand Slam Champion Venus Williams in the Stanford final earning her a first title on the WTA tour.
It had already been quite a summer for Britain – and there were still the Olympics to come.
In Rio, all eyes were back on Andy Murray, who also had the huge honour of being the Team GB flag bearer. His golden triumph in London four years earlier had kick-started an unforgettable period for the Scot, so it was certainly going to be interesting to see whether he could claim victory again.
It is clear how much the Olympics means to both Andy and Jamie, and before the event began the brothers would have had high hopes of winning Gold in the doubles event. Whilst that particular achievement wasn’t quite to be, Andy once again produced his very best tennis in the singles and came through some extremely tough matches to win an historic second Gold medal. The Gold medal match itself was an incredible spectacle, and you’d do well to witness a better match, or indeed a better atmosphere, in the whole year.
Andy’s triumph in Rio was an incredible finale to a golden summer for British tennis – and one that will certainly live long in the memory. Never before can I remember such consistent success, and it was truly wonderful to witness the many moments of brilliance we have enjoyed over the last few months.
As I say, the relentless tennis season means that the next big event is never far away, and attentions will now turn to the US Open and forthcoming Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina. Whatever happens, it is going to be exciting!