Andy Murray is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of his generation, and deservedly so.
Unfortunately for him, he was born in a generation laden with legendary talent, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all present throughout his entire career.
As such, he was limited to just three Grand Slam titles among many other elite honours, where he would surely have won more had this exceptional trio not existed.
And yet, despite the overwhelming obstacles that battling such brilliance presented, the fact that Andy Murray managed to succeed at all deserves immense credit. It’s therefore worth remembering the time when he rose above them all to reach the world number one spot just as the 2016 season came to a close.
How Andy Murray reacted to winning the 2016 ATP Finals
Heading into the 2016 ATP Finals, Murray knew he needed a near-flawless tournament to wrestle the year-end number one spot from Djokovic.
Ironically, it was the Serbian who he would meet in the final, winning triumphantly in straight sets to finally reach the apex of the sport.
Speaking afterwards, he rated the match in typically blunt and self-deprecatory Murray fashion: “I mean, I don’t think that was one of Novak’s best matches.
“I think we have played better matches together. The end of the match was exciting and dramatic. But, you know, there were mistakes from both of us.
“I think I’ve probably played better matches. I was solid enough when I needed to be. I didn’t make those mistakes. I think although I maybe made a few more mistakes than I would have liked, I think tactically I played a good match.
“Yeah, it was obviously a good performance. You never beat a player as good as Novak if you don’t play well. I’m not suggesting I played a bad match. I just think the two of us have played better matches than that one.”
Then asked if a win over Djokovic in particular felt sweeter, Murray added: “I don’t know if ‘satisfaction’ is the right word. I mean, you know, it was obviously a big, big match against someone who I’ve played so many big matches against in my career. That would be my main rival really throughout my career.
“We played in all of the slam finals, Olympics, obviously here now, and a match to finish the year No. 1. We played in loads of Masters Series finals, as well, and are one week apart in age.
“It was obviously a big match, a very important win for me. It was just a huge match to finish the year, to try and obviously finish No. 1. Obviously this is a major event, as well, and one I’ve not done well in in the past. So it’s been a great week.”
Andy Murray’s 2016 campaign was legendary
2016 was, undoubtedly, Murray’s greatest-ever season.
It started in superb fashion, reaching the Australian Open final, where Djokovic would once again topple him. This became a frustrating trend across his career, particularly in Melbourne.
However, he rallied during the clay-court season, reaching the semi-finals in Madrid and Monte-Carlo before claiming the title in Rome.
This fine form was carried into Roland Garros, where he was defeated by Djokovic again, also in the final.
It almost feels like a fever dream to think that Murray coached Djokovic just earlier this year.
He was not to be denied heading back onto the grass though, as he would win a record fifth Queen’s title before adding another Wimbledon trophy to his cabinet. A gold medal over that summer further sweetened the deal, before embarking on the most extraordinary streak following his quarter-final exit at the US Open.
Murray ended the season by winning his last 24 matches, winning the China Open, Shanghai Masters, the Vienna Open and the Paris Masters, bringing him within touching distance of Djokovic in the world rankings.
He would then maintain his imperious form into this event to finally dethrone the 24-time Grand Slam champion, finally claiming the top spot during an era celebrated for its legendary quality across the board.
It’s unfortunate that, despite working so hard for that title, Carlos Alcaraz recently surpassed Murray for weeks holding the world number one spot.
