In troubled times for Britain, Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory will soothe nerves

Tragedy is a bigger English pastime than high tea or fish and chips. No one does sadness better than the people on the British Isles — be it for their miserable weather or the perennially disappointing national football team. Andy Murray needs a lot of credit for transforming himself into a battle-hardened winner, despite the heavy cultural baggage of the society around him.

As Sean Engle points out in The Guardian, Murray is now the fourth king of an era enriched by an insanely brilliant collection of gladiators. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic may have established a brutal hegemony over tennis, but the only man to have consistently challenged them has been Murray.

If Murray was a boxer, he would have stood firm for 12 rounds, taking punches on his chin before going at his opponent looking for more. He has suffered eight defeats in ten finals to Federer and Djokovic, but never let that affect the dogged spirit that took root deep inside his psyche.

Murray was coming off a fifth defeat in an Australian Open final and another major disappointment in that French Open final loss, again to Djokovic. For the first time, he was facing a player not named Federer or Djokovic in a grand slam final. And Murray showed great poise, playing with evident purpose to subdue an exuberant Milos Raonic and clinching a second Wimbledon title.

There are unique pressures on a British man playing Wimbledon. The baggage of a historic 77-year void was wiped away in 2013, but the expectations are sky high every time Murray steps on the grass at SW19. This pressure is not an easy thing to deal with, especially for a nation that is short on winners.

There is also the nuanced rivalry and fragile union between England and Scotland, though Murray competes under a British identity. It is a complex concoction of factors that make Murray’s triumphant journey uniquely poignant.

At 29, Murray has borne the brunt of having to play in an era of abundance. Ordinary mortals may have resigned themselves to fate if they endured as many losses as has Murray at the hands of the three other players who define this prolific generation for tennis.

Not Andy Murray. He remained a stoic Scottish warrior, unwilling to be scarred by defeat. The fact that he employed as many as 10 coaches over the past 18 years point to a man who was committed to find a way past the hurdles that threatened to derail his career.

Murray’s performance against Milos Raonic was particularly impressive in the context of his career and the disruptive extent of defeat that he had already endured. He has lost 55 matches to the big three, most of them in the later stages of significant tennis tournaments, such as the Masters or Grand Slams.

With a history like that, it is easy to enter a final with plenty of doubt. Instead, for the first time in his career, he was the favourite going into a Grand Slam final, with neither Djokovic nor Federer standing across the net. And from the very first shot, it was obvious that Murray was eager to justify the billing. The Scot played the best final of his career — producing a consistent serve, returning well like he usually does and staying as close to the baseline as possible.

Murray’s uniquely aggressive approach to the game was helped primarily by a backhand that could do no wrong on Sunday. Despite Raonic’s massive wingspan, Murray succeeded in repeatedly passing the Canadian, even as he made his way to the net.

The backhand cross court was an important weapon to leave Raonic constantly worried throughout the two-hour-48-minute match. Every time Raonic tried to cover the angle by moving slightly left, Murray polished his opponent off by painting the lines with his backhand.

The conviction with which Murray played on Sunday should help him continue his battle with the only man in front, Djokovic. The Scot has been among the most consistent players this season — reaching the finals in both Melbourne and Paris as he continued to press the Serbian at the top.

Murray’s reunion with Ivan Lendl has also been an instrumental element in his continued quest to challenge the dominant men of the era. While he has accumulated an impressive 40-6 record this season, Murray has also won 27 of 29 matches since the start of his second stint with Lendl.

The chemistry between the men seems to have a certain natural alignment that comes from a deep understanding of defeat. Lendl, if you will remember, lost his first eight Grand Slam finals before tasting success. Murray did not have to suffer that much, but he too has learnt to deal with defeat without dropping the chin.

Murray’s performance in the final was a catharsis that came from several years of lessons learnt through regular failure and rare victory. In the final on Sunday, he played with the assurance of a man who knew his lines by heart. Murray won 60 out of 69 first serve points (87 per cent) and returned well enough to limit Raonic to just eight aces. Compare that against his average of 23 per match before the final and you realise how Raonic was constrained by the opponent.

The Scot also conceded just 12 unforced errors across three sets and 34 games. That’s a remarkable level of consistency from a man who has often slipped into berating himself, even as he played the quintessential tragedy hero.

In Sunday’s final though Murray embraced the role of a superhero, punching consistently enough to demolish the confidence of his Canadian opponent. So much so that Raonic was resigned to defeat, soon as he fell behind 0-4 in the third set tiebreak.

Murray’s ability to retain his hunger for victory and willingness to find newer and more effective means to achieve his dreams will serve the Scot well in the final few years of his impressive career.

Meanwhile, the British Isles — England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales — can all latch on to Murray’s victory and down a few extra pints of joy. At a time when the islands have been dealing with Brexit and painful losses at the Euro 2016, Murray’s triumphant run at Wimbledon serves to soothe souls and calm frayed nerves.