We’ve known for months that Andy Murray was edging closer to hitting his final tennis ball in anger.

We are now just days away from this monumental moment.

Paris 2024 will be Murray’s final-ever tennis tournament and for so many tennis lovers, his retirement will be as traumatic as they come.

Indeed, it seemed that until just weeks ago, retirement would be an unwelcome trauma for Murray himself. He is now, though, he insists, comfortable with the thought of retirement.

In the course of his almost two decade-long professional career, Murray scaled the very highest heights; he won three grand slam titles, including two Wimbledon crowns, became world number one in the strongest era that men’s tennis has ever seen and won two Olympic gold medals.

But he also experienced the lowest of lows, with the Scot battling serious injury all too often in the latter stages of his career.

Andy Murray will play his final competitive tennis match at Paris 2024

Since swapping his normal hip with a metal one in early 2019, Murray has been desperately trying to eek every last drop out a career that he clearly didn’t want to end.

Within days however, his career will be over.

At Paris 2024, Murray will play his final-ever competitive tennis match.

Injury has deemed that a tilt at a third singles gold medal is a step too far but in the doubles event, alongside Dan Evans, Murray will have his final hurrah.

The phrase “end of an era” is over-used in the sporting........

© Herald Scotland