Tears, showmanship and standing ovations: Inside a monumental day for Wimbledon’s Brits

Thursday 4 July 2024 will long be remembered as the day the fate of the nation was on the line. The day thousands turned out to make themselves heard. The day it was decided which figures would carry the torch for the UK. We're talking, of course, about Wimbledon day four. What else?

The order of play at SW19 was as sumptuous as sports scheduling gets. Having withdrawn from what would have been his final singles run, Andy Murray was in doubles action with brother Jamie against Australian duo John Peers and Rinky Hijikata. In the gentlemen’s singles, there was a clash between the current British No 1 and his predecessor, as 22-year-old Jack Draper faced Cameron Norrie. In the ladies’ singles, another British No 1 featured as Katie Boulter played compatriot, friend and nemesis Harriet Dart. All of this added to Centre Court’s intriguing opener, as 22-year-old Jacob Fearnley – the world No 277 – took on seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Of course, the annual All England Club dream is to have this British representation in the second week of the tournament, and certain pairings here actually lessened those chances. Still, they created a unique atmosphere, with must-see match after must-see match.

Coincidentally, every Briton to grace the Centre Court lawn represented Scotland, while the English contingent set up camp on No 1 Court. Edinburgh’s Fearnley was up first on Centre, naturally garnering home support on a stage where, ironically, his Serbian opponent has made himself so at home since his first title in 2011.

The Scottish wildcard kept pace with Djokovic in the first halves of the first two sets, but the world No 2 broke in timely fashion. He served out both sets clinically, but the crowd would not give up on Fearnley. Basking in the SW19 sun, they got behind him even when he suffered a break in the third set, and he would immediately break back.

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Yet as much as the crowd was backing the Briton, there was a fondness for Djokovic here, too. His has been an odd relationship with the Wimbledon crowd: loved some years, mutually hostile in others. But here, much as the 37-year-old set about eliminating a home hope, he was appreciated. That might be due to the stark realisation that, after this year in which Murray and Rafael Nadal will join Roger Federer in retirement, Djokovic will be the last era-defining great standing. Held up by a compression sleeve, perhaps.

Over on No 1 Court, after filtering through the gangways and sifting down to their seats, the crowd had started off sleepily for Boulter’s grudge match with Dart – the latest duel in an unusual rivalry. The pair are supposedly friends and have been teammates at the Billie Jean King Cup, yet there has been needle between them at the last two Nottingham Opens.

Boulter had beaten her fellow 27-year-old six times out of seven on the pro tour, so Dart’s underdog status might explain her greater share of the support. Boulter took the first set in relative comfort before Dart breezed through the second, having impressively arrested and reversed the momentum. She even broke in the third, only for Boulter to respond in kind, as their three-set tie became a mini-epic. With that break back, Dart was left bawling into her hands at the back of the court, in a surreal scene that would soon be reprised.

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The final set reached a tiebreak, and as Boulter surged ahead, Dart was again reduced to tears (shades of Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal this week?). Remarkably, she composed herself at 2-6 and played through her tears, going on a decisive run to take the breaker 10-8 and the match 4-6 6-1 7-6. It wasn’t an affair of the finest quality, with 110 combined unforced errors, but it delivered its own drama.

Back on Centre, Djokovic graciously applauded Fearnley’s efforts, as the Scot hauled himself victoriously through the third set. The crowd in turn was hauled onto its feet for a standing ovation. Fearnley earned another a set later, affection tumbling down from the stands as his spirited showing was ended by the iron icon across from him.

Centre would have to wait for the Murrays, but with Dart and a beaten Boulter having slipped out of No 1 Court, it was Draper and Norrie’s turn. After the earlier, emotional encounter, the crowd thinned out somewhat for the men, though it felt a bit like a festival audience for a headline set on a smaller stage: There were fewer fans but in greater voice.

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And Norrie was a seasoned frontman here, crowd work and all, catching the eyes of cheering fans and reflecting their energy. He was also generous with the hits, particularly a recurring backhand pass down the line that elicited “ooo”s so often you’d think they were choreographed. Draper was part of the band but, with his superior ranking, surely would’ve hoped to play a lead role. In the end, Norrie triumphed across three competitive sets.

And then it was time for the main attraction back on Centre: The Brothers Murray, as Andy’s Wimbledon farewell began in the men’s doubles.

There was a standing ovation to greet the former singles No 1, the two-time Wimbledon champion – and his brother, of course. One writer even found himself involuntarily clapping along, swept up in the moment. There might have even been a tear. Ehem.

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One game in, the umpire’s call of “Andy Murray to serve” brought its own ovation. And so it continued. Every opportunity to shower Andy Murray in adulation was seized. There is something comforting in that; so rarely in life do we appreciate what we have, yet here was a chance to drench a deserving recipient in every liquid ounce of appreciation. And the chance was taken.

The result – a 7-6(6) 6-4 loss, by the way – was almost irrelevant. This was the start of Andy Murray’s farewell, not the end of it.