Paris Olympics: Andy Murray decides to end his tennis career after doubles QF loss

Former world no. 1 Andy Murray has retired from professional tennis following his appearance in the Paris Olympic Games, where he partnered Daniel Evans to the quarterfinals of the men's doubles event.

Murray and Evans were beaten 6-2 6-4 by American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

After his final match Thursday evening, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) announced that the arena at the Cinch Championships at The Queen's Club will be renamed 'The Andy Murray Arena' in recognition of his record five titles at the venue.

A two-time Olympic men's singles gold medalist had earlier announced that he would bring his illustrious playing career to a close after the Paris Olympics.

Murray, a 46-time tour-level titlist, won his first Olympic gold by defeating Roger Federer in the final at London 2012, before defending his crown by edging Juan Martin del Potro in an epic final at Rio de Janeiro 2016, becoming the first player to win two Olympic singles gold medals. He also partnered Laura Robson to win the mixed doubles silver medal in 2012.

He played his final singles match at the Cinch Championships, held in June at The Queen's Club, London. There, the Scot also played his 1,000th tour-level singles match.

Murray became the first British Grand Slam singles champion since Virginia Wade in 1977 at the 2012 US Open, where he battled past Djokovic in a thrilling five-set final. The following year, he became the first British male Wimbledon champion since Fred Perry in 1936, ending the nation's 77-year wait for a home winner at the grass-court major.

In 2016, he won his second Wimbledon title and became the first British player to reach World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, aged 29 in November of the same year, making him the second-oldest player to debut at No. 1 behind only John Newcombe, who was 30 when he accomplished the feat in 1974, according to ATP stats.

"Andy is the greatest tennis player ever to come from this country and a giant of British sport. His contribution to the game is immense and has bought us all so many moments of pride. He was relentless in his pursuit of excellence and had a single-minded determination to succeed.

"His brilliance on court brought an end to the long wait for a British male singles winner at Wimbledon, brought home Olympic gold and silver medals and he was the driving force behind Britain's 2015 Davis Cup success," said LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd.

"Andy has been an inspiring and important force in our sport for so many years. He has embodied the values of hard work, sportsmanship, and never giving up - with his unwavering love for the game endearing him to millions of fans. His remarkable achievements on the court over the past two decades speak for themselves. Congratulations to Andy on an extraordinary career. We look forward with great excitement for what's next in your story," said ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi.

(With inputs from IANS)