Murray and the moral dilemma of competing in the era of the 'Big Three'

Pedro de Pablos | 11 Jul 2026 | 12.23

Murray and the moral dilemma of competing in the era of the 'Big Three'. Source: Getty Images

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The finals of Wimbledon 2026 begin today, and it is impossible not to remember Andy Murray. The British tennis player became the local hero of the All England Club lifting the trophy on two occasions after decades of drought, and has highlighted what it was like to compete on equal terms with the 'Big Three' leaving some surprising statements.

Murray has confessed that he would probably have won more Grand Slams (he only managed to conquer 3) if it weren't for Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, but at the same time, he has expressed gratitude for being able to share an era with the 3 best tennis players in history. Ultimately, these rivalries made him a better player, as revealed in an interview with 'We Love Tennis' where he delves into the pros and cons of the career he experienced.

"Could I have won more if Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic hadn't been there? Probably, but I don't see it that way. I would have won more if there had been one less player, or even better, two fewer. Returning to Wimbledon today, I see this tournament from a different perspective. When I played, the pressure kept increasing, and every year that I couldn't cross the finish line, doubts grew about whether I would ever achieve it," he stated.

Murray ends a 77-year drought at Wimbledon

Murray's thorn throughout much of his career was not being able to win Wimbledon, where he always had the pressure of being Fred Perry's heir. Years passed, and Andy couldn't lift the title, but in 2012 everything changed. It was there, on the grass of the All England Club, where the British tennis player won the gold medal at the London Olympics, and a year later he achieved his coveted Wimbledon victory 77 years after Perry, thus relieving himself of a significant burden.

"I wasn't sure I could win Wimbledon. Federer has won eight, Djokovic seven, and Nadal two, so I didn't have many opportunities to win. There were certainly moments when I probably would have preferred if they weren't playing at the same time as me, but it can also be seen differently: I was lucky to face these three great champions on tennis' biggest stages and try to beat them," he concluded.

Murray, from reaching the top to living a nightmare with his hip

In fact, the best was yet to come since in 2016 he would again win Olympic gold at the Rio Olympics, win Wimbledon again, and become ATP's world No. 1 by the end of the year. However, the constant demand to outdo himself and compete against the 'Big Three' eventually took its toll, and a year later, he began having hip issues marking the start of his descent into hell.

After Wimbledon 2017, he didn't play a match throughout the season, in January 2018 he underwent surgery for the first time, and a year later he had a second surgery and received a prosthesis. From then on, he was never the same, despite giving us incredible matches like the one he played against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 Australian Open. Murray retired in 2024 leaving an indelible legacy that could have been even greater without the 'Big Three,' but only a player of his caliber can raise questions about whether it was actually a 'Big Four.'

After ending his career as a professional tennis player, he transitioned to coaching, and after a brief stint with Novak Djokovic's team, he is now the coach of Jack Draper, another young British talent poised to be his successor to ensure that it won't be long until a new British tennis player wins Wimbledon again.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Murray y el dilema moral de competir en la época del "Big Three"

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