For The Economist’s Game Theory blog, I wrote about Andy Murray’s legacy, as he approaches retirement:
[B]ecause of the quality of his competition, it is easy to underrate the career on which Mr Murray is calling time. Several of his tallies at the grand slams rank among the top ten in the modern era, including his 11 finals, 21 semi-finals, 30 quarter-finals, and 189 match wins. Only nine other men have spent more time in the top five of the world rankings. His three major titles sit much further down the all-time list, but the rest of the big four blocked him from at least six more. Comparing tennis players across eras is devilishly difficult, thanks to changes in technology, tactics, training regimens, and geographical breadth, but these raw totals probably underrate his standing among the all-time greats. He doesn’t belong in the top three, but few men other than his present-day rivals can unambiguously claim to have been stronger players.