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After another Wimbledon, Andy Murray has a window to build on his legacy

A two-time Wimbledon champion, a three-time Grand Slam winner, Olympic gold medalist, Davis Cup w...



After another Wimbledon, Andy...
Golf

After another Wimbledon, Andy Murray has a window to build on his legacy

A two-time Wimbledon champion, a three-time Grand Slam winner, Olympic gold medalist, Davis Cup winner...

After a second Wimbledon triumph by defeating first-time finalist Milos Raonic, there isn't much Andy Murray hasn't already achieved in tennis.

But at the age of 29, now is the time to really put the hammer down and build his legacy.

Five seems to be the magic number of Grand Slams to achieve true legend status and while Murray will probably end up in that category by dint of being part of tennis' recent Big Four, racking up the titles will now be an aim.

The Scottish right-hander has the fewest major titles (if you discount Olympic gold which is not a Grand Slam event) among the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic class but the next few months present a real opportunity.

That trio has 17, 14 and 12 Grand Slam titles to their names respectively and given that Murray is at three after Wimbledon title No 2, catching them will be a tall order.

But at least getting to a magic five Grand Slams will certainly add glint to an already impressive legacy.

There is an opportunity now to really work his way towards that and possibly beyond.

Former Italian tennis ace Adriano Panatta, right, poses with Serbia's Novak Djokovic, left, who won the final of the French Open tennis tournament against Britain's Andy Murray, center, during the cup ceremony at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

As he proved at Wimbeldon, the Dublane tennis star is far and away the best tennis player around at the moment when World No 1 Djokovic is out of the way. The rest of the field - including an ageing Federer - remains some way behind the current Top Two.

And although Djokovic, who was born a week after Murray, has a real edge when they go head-to-head across courts in Grand Slam finals, the Serb did betray a slight weariness after his shock Wimbledon exit.

"I just need some rest. To get away from tennis," he said after Sam Querrey knocked him out in the opening week, bringing an end to an imperious period in which he had claimed a non-calendar Grand Slam and a first ever French Open title.

After the Olympics, the US Open presents itself as the final major of the year and Murray has won there before. If Djokovic remains a little way below his best, it becomes another opportunity for the Scot to add to his major haul, before a crack at the Australian Open in January.

The latter event is one in which he has reached five of the last seven finals and lost every time - four times to Djokovic alone. It is perhaps a matter of time that he takes one of the two Grand Slam events he has never won.

But significantly, he had Ivan Lendl back on his coaching ticket at Wimbledon, rekindling a partnership that had helped him to his first two major triumphs.

That calm presence could add the extra percentage points he needs to close the gap to Djokovic and add the further Grand Slam titles that will add a glint to his legacy.

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